Borderlands-Saga of The Son
by The Handsome One
Summary: The Story takes place after Handsome Jack's Demise in BL2. The Story is a continuation of Montayva's Taking Back Pandora and GenErick64's The Brother BL2 Fanfictions but instead of focusing on Siren Lore it focuses more on The Eridian race before their extinction. The Story centers around Jason Murphy, my character concept, and how his Nanite Suit is connected to the Eridians.
1. Prologue-The Adventure Begins

**Prologue: The Beginning of the End**

During the Great War, the Eridian's greatest Champion, who was pure of heart and loyal to the Mother of Creation, sided with the Mother's powerful Children and aided them in sealing many of the monsters that the Corrupted Son had created, including the Warrior and the Destroyer, into The Vaults, fought the Eridians that served the Corrupted, and eventually aided in defeating the Corrupted himself. With The Champion's aid, the children sealed the Corrupted into one of the ancient Vaults, earning The Champion the trust of the Mother and her children before the children were turned into mortals by the Mother.

After the war with The Corrupted had ended, the once proud Eridian Race was driven to the brink of extinction, becoming vicious savages who would kill each other for territory and vital resources on the war torn planet of Pandora. Fearing that the Eridians would wreak havoc upon the Galaxy, The Mother gifted The Champion with the Vault Key and knowledge of the locations of the Vaults of Pandora to safeguard the Vaults from his brethren and to keep them from opening the ancient evils that existed inside. Knowing his brethren would do whatever it took to get the Vault Key, The Champion equipped himself with a formidable arsenal which was rumored to be powerful enough to rule the galaxy and wore an Advanced Nanite Suit powerful enough to withstand almost any assault. The Suit would forever remain grafted to his skin till the day he died, containing the knowledge of Pandora's Vaults and the secrets of his arsenal.

Over the decades, The Champion fulfilled his duty loyally and overtime aided his fellow brothers with rebuilding their once great society. For a time, it seemed that the Eridians would return to their old ways of peace and prosperity. This dream was then shattered when the old Eridian warlords who served the Corrupted amassed a powerful army to defeat The Champion and all those who followed him. So began the End War, The Eridians continued to kill and murder each other for decades, hoping to gain control of the Vault Key and open the Vaults of Pandora to harness their power and reclaim their dominance over the galaxy. In the end only one Eridian survived the End War, The Champion. Feeling that he failed his fellow brothers and seeing himself unfit to continue his duty of keeping the Vaults closed, The Champion placed his cache of weapons into a Vault located in the future Pandoran continent of Aegrus so no one could abuse their powers for their own personal gain. He then scattered the pieces of the Vault Key into the 4 corners of Pandora and created the Eridian Guardians using the corpses of his brethren to keep all future civilizations away from the Vaults of Pandora.

Fearing that one day that future civilizations would try to steal the secret of his legendary arsenal, the location of the other Pandoran vaults, and the location of the key due to the data inside of his Nanite Suit, The Champion encrypted the data of their locations deep within the files of his Suit and left Pandora where he would build a tomb for himself on the uncharted world of Hades, a planet where no race would ever dare to tread. After 2 decades of building, the tomb was finally complete. The Champion had filled the halls of his tomb with many traps and locks to keep trespassers away from his Nanite Suit. After the completion of his tomb, The Champion would then enter his eternal resting place, locking himself forever in the tomb. As The Champion looks at the sunrise one last time before the doors closed, he saw what was once a symbol of the beginning to his people, become the symbol of his end.

Centuries Later, Humans would expand all over the Galaxy, becoming the dominant species in the universe. One day in the world of Hades, Billionaire Mr. Holloway locates the lost tomb of The Champion, finding the legendary Nanite Suit inside. To the Billionaire, he saw the means to create a Super Soldier powerful enough to help him gain control of the planet Eden-5, but this discovery would set a chain of events into motion which would begin another adventure for the Vault Hunters of Pandora.

**Birth of the Favorite Son**

Years before The Vault Hunters ever set foot on Pandora, our story begins with a young Jason Murphy, a boy raised on the Planet Eden-5 which was at the time a crime infested cesspool. The People of his planet lived in constant fear as criminals ruled the streets of his planet; it seemed no one could stop the criminals from committing illegal actions, not even the government of Eden-5 which was dealing with other issues. At a young age, Murphy lost his parents in a horrific car accident, leaving him and his young sister Ann orphans. The pair were transferred into St. Joseph's Orphanage located in the slums of Eden-5, where most of the planet's criminal activities took place. Life was difficult for young Jason and Ann, crime had reached an all-time high on their world and criminal influences were everywhere to be seen. Jason could have easily succumbed to the criminal lifestyle of Eden-5 like the other boys in the orphanage if it wasn't for his sister. Ann was Jason's moral compass, keeping him on the straight and narrow while growing up. Jason loved his sister dearly and would have done anything to keep her safe.

One unfortunate day however, a Junkie looking for some quick cash for his next fix would rob the orphanage. During the robbery, the Junkie murdered Jason's younger sister and nearly killed Jason in the process; Jason was only 12 when this event occurred and it would forever change him. For the first time in his life, Jason was alone in this world, causing him to fall into a deep depression that he thought he would never dig himself out of. But in his darkest hour, Murphy promised himself that he would fight for those who couldn't fight for themselves and that he would never allow someone like himself to ever go through that kind of pain again.

Hoping to make a difference, Jason Murphy joined Eden-5's Police Force at the age of 21 and quickly rose up the ranks as one of the greatest officers to ever live. In his 10 year long career, Murphy put away Kingpins, Drug Lords, and all other forms of scum on Eden-5. He later joined Alpha Strike, an elite S.W.A.T unit outfitted to deal with all forms of criminal activity on his home world. Eden-5's crime rate dropped to record lows thanks to the efforts of Murphy and his teammates. Murphy was happy with his work until famous Billionaire Mr. Holloway bought out the police and turned it into his own personal hit squad. Murphy tried to stop Holloway and end the Billionaire's reign of terror but he ultimately failed. Betrayed by his former squad, Murphy was arrested and tried with treason for attempting to overthrow Eden-5's government, which was all possible thanks to Holloway who had bribed the jury into declaring Murphy guilty. Holloway then had Murphy transferred to Eden-5's Cybernetics Division where he would undergo heavy cybernetic augmentation and memory wipe. Murphy then had his skin grafted with the Champion's Nanite Suit, now retrofitted for human use, and kept under Holloway's control thanks to an Experimental AI created from the advanced tech from Eden-5 and the Eridian tech within the suit. The AI was named A.N.N (Advanced Neural Network) which was coincidentally the same name of his deceased sister. Murphy would become Holloway's lap dog, killing anything that opposed him for control over the planet.

Over his 5 years of servitude, Murphy and his AI companion A.N.N would form a type of brother/sister relationship which was similar to the relationship Murphy had with his little sister. After Holloway's Daughter Marcie was murdered by fellow student Gaige at the Eden-5 youth science fair, a bounty was placed on Gaige's head and Murphy was sent to find and kill the Mechromancer. But the minute Holloway showed the picture of Gaige to his cyborg assassin, Murphy's memories resurfaced due to the fact that Gaige reminded him of his deceased sister. In a blind rage, Murphy was ready to shoot down his former master but Holloway activated the failsafe in A.N.N's programming to kill the officer if he ever went AWOL. A.N.N defied her programming due to her relationship with Murphy, allowing her friend to end Holloway's life. Finally free of his years of enslavement, Murphy would wipe out the corrupt police force and destroy everything Holloway worked so hard to create, freeing his planet from tyranny. Murphy was hailed a hero by the civilians of Eden-5, but Murphy did not see himself in the same light. Murphy believed himself a murderer who killed so Holloway could take control of his beloved home world, Murphy no longer saw himself fit to serve as a police officer. A.N.N tried to comfort her old friend but whatever she said at first just fell at deaf ears, but something she said reminded Murphy of the promise he made long ago. Remembering the promise he made to himself, Murphy continued to aid the people of Eden-5 so that one day, his planet could return to its former glory.

Almost 2 years after Handsome Jack's demise on Pandora, Eden-5 became a symbol of peace and freedom in the galaxy thanks to Murphy, A.N.N, and the newly formed Police Force. One day, Murphy received a message from Gaige's parents asking Murphy to help them find their daughter on Pandora, the planet where they sent her to keep her from being executed by Holloway and his men. Feeling obligated by his sense of duty and also feeling like he owed the young Mechromancer for his new found freedom, Eden-5's favorite son heeded the call and traveled to the hellish planet. What was at first a quest of redemption for Murphy would become an adventure that would unlock the secrets of his Nanite Suit and one of the hidden Vaults of Pandora.


	2. Chapter 1-Welcome to Pandora kiddos

It was a typical day on the desert world of Pandora, the sun was blazing, the desert winds were blowing against the sand, and skags roamed the desert looking for their next meal. In the distance, a Trans-planetary shuttle began its descent into Pandora's atmosphere. It began landing on one of the barren plains near an old space facility once used by the Dahl Corporation to deploy troops and researchers to the planet for mining purposes. The Shuttle then began its landing procedures, sand and dust flew up in the air as the shuttle's engines came closer to the ground. Once the shuttle had stopped moving, the pod bay doors began to open. After the doors had opened, an automated message played through the speakers inside of the ship. "THANK YOU FOR RIDING THE TORGUE TRANS-PLANETARY SHUTTLE!" said the loud voice coming from the speakers, "WE HOPE YOU ENJOY YOUR STAY ON PANDORA! NOW GO BLOW SOME S**T UP, YOU BADASS MOTHERF***ERS!"

Soon after the automated message stopped, bounty hunters and mercenaries from all corners of the galaxy began pouring out from the doors of the ship, hoping to make their fortune on the desert planet. The mercs that came out of the ship were nothing really special, most were young kids who had left home trying to make a name for themselves while others were ex-military looking for the kind of glory and excitement they could never have while serving.

One of the passengers however stood out from the rest of the group. At first glance, he could have easily been mistaken as a robot. The passenger was a 6'1 male who wore a gun metal black, fully armored body suit with glowing red markings around his upper torso and his joints. He also wore a helmet which hid his facial features with the exception of his glowing blue mechanical eyes that peered through the helmet's red tinted visor. He carried a tan duffle bag, filled with guns, ammo, and other miscellaneous supplies for his journey. As he started to make his way off of the shuttle, his joints began to make a heavy clanking sound with each step he took. Once he had gotten off, the shuttle took off in quite a hurry and disappeared into the Pandoran sky within minutes. The man then placed the duffle bag on the desert ground and began to punch some numbers into his wrist. He then began to record a personal log detailing his arrival to Pandora and his mission in hand.

"Mission Log," Said the man to the device on his wrist, "I have just landed on the planet of Pandora. I have been asked by a family from my home world of Eden-5 to help them locate their young daughter, Gaige, and report her current whereabouts as soon as possible. The family had her sent to this planet to avoid being executed by my ex-employer, Mr. Holloway, and the once corrupt police force of Eden-5, the reason why Holloway and the cops wanted the girl dead is because she accidently murdered Holloway's daughter Marcie during the Eden-5 Youth Science Fair. Ever since her departure, the family had lost contact with their daughter and hasn't heard from her in over 2 years. I plan on investigating any of the nearby towns to see if any of the citizens may have knowledge of the girl's whereabouts. If I'm lucky, I'll have a lead on her location soon and hopefully find her before any harm can come to her. This is Lieutenant Jason Murphy of the Eden-5 Police Department, signing off." The Enforcer ended the recording and prepared himself for the journey ahead.

"Do you always have to do that on every mission?" said a female voice coming from inside of Murphy's helmet.

"Sorry A.N.N, its force of habit." said Murphy. He then began to extract a chip from the back of his helmet and from that chip, a small holographic figure of a beautiful young woman came out. The Woman had short black hair tied neatly together to form pony tail, her eyes were a blue color similar to Murphy's eyes, she wore a strange, almost alien, outfit covered in blue markings and her holographic skin was a pale color.

"So are you ready to get moving?" asked A.N.N, eagerly waiting for the mission to get started.

"In just a minute" replied Murphy, who was checking his bag one last time to make sure he had brought everything he needed for the trip. "Can you locate a town close to the landing site" said Murphy too his AI companion.

"Already done" A.N.N said confidently. "The closest nearby town is Ovejas. It's a small settlement just north of the landing site. It should take us about 30 minutes on foot to reach the settlement."

"Good, then we'll start our investigation there." said Murphy. He then proceeded to place A.N.N back into the slot in his helmet, pick up his duffle bag and walk toward the settlement through the barren plains of Pandora.

"Murphy, are you sure we're even going to find this kid alive in a hellhole like this?" Said A.N.N, questioning if whether the girl could have survived on Pandora. "For all we know, she could be dead by now. You know what Pandora's like, bandits and criminals basically flourish on this world. One of them could have killed her and left her for the skags." Her concerns were valid; Pandora was a place where bandit clans wreaked havoc on the peaceful denizens of the planet and vicious predators roamed the wild, doing whatever it took to survive the hostile environment of Pandora. "I don't want you to risk your life on some wild goose chase Murphy." A.N.N continued, obviously showing concern for her longtime partner.

"I highly doubt that she's dead" said Murphy in a rather optimistic manner, "Have you forgotten about the mess her science fair project made, if her robot could do that then I think she could easily handle a few bandits." Murphy was of course referring to the incident at the Eden-5 Science fair, where Gaige's project accidently murdered Marcie Holloway. All that was left of the girl was blood and organs that were splattered all over the Auditorium, where the event took place. It took several weeks to completely clean the mess.

"Well when you bring that up, she definitely has a chance at surviving" A.N.N said. After a 30 minute hike in the desert, Murphy and A.N.N had finally reached the small settlement of Ovejas. The town streets were filled with people just going about their day as usual, but the minute Murphy entered the town, everyone became silent. The citizens began to give frightened and concerned looks to the Enforcer from Eden-5 and for good reason, the last time someone from another world came into their town they were attacked, losing innocent lives in the process. Murphy was on his guard, prepared for anything the townspeople may try to pull while he was there. Murphy then walked toward a group of older men, conversing with one another near the center of town.

"Excuse me gentlemen" Murphy said to the group, he then began to unzip his duffle bag ready to pull out a picture of the mechromancer. "I'm looking for this girl, around 5'4, age 19 to 20, and orange hair with pigtails on the side. By any chance have you seen her around here or have any ideas of her current location?" The townspeople then began to scream at the top of their lungs.

"Oh my god, it's a Hyperion Robot! Run for your lives!" shouted one of the men Murphy was speaking to, obviously mistaking Murphy for something he wasn't. The town then went into a frenzy and began to rush to their homes, locking their windows and doors fearing what Murphy was.

"Well, that went well" sighed A.N.N. "If every town on this planet is like this one, we'll never find a lead on this kid's whereabouts".

"You can't blame them A.N.N" said Murphy in defense of the townspeople "How often do you think they see a cyborg from another world walk into their town? I'd probably freak out too if I were them." A.N.N giggled a bit, agreeing with Murphy's statement

"So what's the plan now hero?" Said A.N.N to her companion, focusing on the mission at hand.

"We head to the next town I guess" Murphy said with a hint of disappointment in his voice. "Try to locate the next town closest to our current location and see if…" But before Murphy could finish his sentence, a loud booming male voice with a strong Spanish accent cut him off.

"Freeze pendejo!" Demanded the voice. "Drop the bag and turn around slowly, or I'll blast your sorry metallic ass into tiny bits!" Not wanting to cause any trouble, Murphy complied with the voice, dropped his duffle bag and turned around slowly.


	3. Chapter 2-Wild West Shootout

At first, Murphy didn't see anyone behind him even though he could have sworn he heard a voice from that general direction. Murphy turned his head left, then right, yet he still couldn't see anyone. The Voice then shouted "Down here, cabrón." Murphy then proceeded to look down and he saw a short and rather hairy man.

The Short Man was very well built with muscles bulging on his forearms and upper body but his legs were very short and skinny. He wore a dirty, torn up orange shirt over a white shirt, blue jeans, and had a pair of cowboy boots with spurs on the back. The man had a thick beard on his face and he was filled to the brim with bullets, rockets, and grenades. On the left hand he carried a Slagged Sledge's Shotgun, and on the right hand he carried an Electric Madhous! LMG. "Why have you come to my town you Hyperion puta?" Said the Short Man. His fingers were on both triggers ready to kill Murphy if he tried to pull anything.

Murphy took one good look at the man with his metallic blue eyes and said in a rather mocking fashion "Who, and what, are you supposed to be shorty?"

The Man's Face grew red with anger after Murphy made his statement. He then glared angrily at the Enforcer and yelled with authority "I'm the one asking the questions here Tin Man and you better give me a straight answer or I'll waste your ass, comprende!"

"Smart move Murph" A.N.N whispered to Murphy in a very sarcastic tone "Make the midget with the really big guns even more angry, that should help us get this situation resolved quickly and cleanly"

Not wanting to make the situation worse than it had been already, Murphy complied with the Short Man's demands and told him why he came to the town. "Listen buddy, I came to this town to look for a missing person. I didn't come here to start trouble with you or your townspeople. I just wanted to see if they knew where she was."

The Man laughed at Murphy's story and said "You honestly think I'm stupid enough to believe in such a dumb story like that you Hyperion bastard." The Man shouted. The Man prepared to open fire on Murphy, but before he could even pull the trigger, an old lady started walking outside her home to see what all the fuss is about.

"Niño," the woman said with a rather frail and quiet voice "Que estás pasando aquí?"

"Abuela," Said The Man "Get back inside the house, it's not safe for you to be out here." But before the old lady could get back inside, 4 Bandit Technicals drove through the town streets, shooting up the buildings and blowing up the streets with their saw blades, machine guns, and their catapults. "Bandits" Said the Man, "Everybody get down now!"

"Rip the flesh, salt the wound!" said one of the psychos as the bandits began jumping off the Technicals and started firing their guns at townspeople. The Short Man escorted his grandmother to safety and then began to lay waste to the bandits with his two weapons, tearing them apart with gunfire. Murphy then jumped to cover to avoid the bandits' line of fire and then proceeded to reach for the guns in his duffle bag.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!" said The Short Man who immediately noticed Murphy reaching for the guns.

"If you're gonna shoot me, then shoot me" yelled Murphy as bullets started to fly over his head "But right now, bandits are shooting up this town, killing everything in sight and I'm not gonna stand here and do nothing while innocent people are dying!" Murphy then proceeded to take out an incendiary Vladof E-tech Blaster from his bag and fire at his attackers. The Short Man realized at that moment that Murphy was not some Hyperion soldier sent to kill his people; no Hyperion soldier would risk his own life to save anyone, they would have just ran and hid and then proceed to kill off any of the survivors after the shootout had ended.

"Alright amigo" said The Man "I'll provide covering fire, try to take out the vehicles before they turn my town into a pile of smoldering ash." Murphy nodded to the man, agreeing with his plan of attack. Murphy then jumped out of cover and began firing at the bandits, killing them one by one with precision accuracy while The Short Man, with both guns blazing, kept the bandits grounded with covering fire. Murphy aimed at the Technicals' engines with his rifle and opened fire. The engines of the vehicles soon began to light up on fire, eventually exploding one by one killing the bandits that remained inside.

The Nomad leader realized that he and his fellow bandits were in trouble and ordered his men to overrun them. Eventually, Murphy and The Short man were surrounded by an army of crazed bandits, but then The Short man threw two Fire Bee Grenades at his attackers, burning them within a matter of seconds as the grenades opened up and began spewing flames at 90 degree angles. As blood and body parts began to fly all over the battlefield, The Nomad Leader realized that he and his bandit brethren were done for if they continued this plan of attack, he then jumped on the last functioning Technical and launched an explosive barrel at both Murphy and his small partner.

"Watch out!" yelled Murphy as he saw the barrel hurdling toward them. He then jumped in front of the barrel in order to save The Short Man. The barrel immediately exploded when it made contact with Murphy. The Nomad and his fellow bandits laughed, believing they had killed the duo but unbeknownst to them, Murphy and his fellow gunslinger were still very much alive.

Murphy had digistructed a powerful energy shield over his right arm and used it to block the blast from the explosion, saving both The Short Man and himself. Murphy then proceeded to digistruct a gauntlet based weapon on his left hand and fire 3 Meteor Shower grenades from his gauntlet toward the Nomad and his Technical, killing him and the remaining bandits in the immediate area. Blood, guts, and burnt metal began to fly all over the battlefield as 36 child grenades spawned from the initially fired grenades and began exploding near their vicinity. As the smoke cleared, Murphy and The Man began to check the immediate area, killing off any of the surviving bandits in the area. They had defeated the bandits and saved the small town of Ovejas. Murphy then digistructed both his energy shield and his gauntlet back into the confines of his suit.

The townspeople then rushed into the street celebrating the heroes' victory over the bandits. The Short Man then glared back at Murphy, at first he had a serious look on his face but his expression immediately changed into a smile. "Thanks for helping me save my town amigo" said the man "Not that I needed your help to begin with but I appreciate it nonetheless."

"All in a day's work" said Murphy. Murphy then extended his hand to the Short Man, The Man then grabbed Murphy's hand and then the two proceeded to give each other firm handshakes.

"How the hell were you able to block that explosion without getting killed Tin Man" wondered the short man who saw Murphy block the explosion without getting harmed at all.

"My Riot Shield that's how" said Murphy as he pointed to his right hand "I was able to digistruct it just in time before the barrel could hit us, this thing can block anything from bullets to rockets without taking any damage. It can only block frontal assaults though and even then I can only use it for 5 minutes at a time." The Man proceeded to nod, impressed at Murphy's unique ability. He then looked over the smoldering battlefield, bullet casings and body parts littered the desert town of Ovejas. The Man then began reveling in his victory over the bandit horde.

"Everything about that was good" yelled the man.

"Is that your idea of having fun?" Murphy asked.

"Killing bad guys is always fun" The man responded "and besides, nobody important was hurt amigo." The Man began to laugh hysterically, enjoying his victory over the bandits, he then started celebrating with his fellow townspeople. Murphy could not help but crack a smile under his helmet as he saw the people of the town safe and sound, celebrating the fact that they were still alive. Murphy felt good inside knowing that he was able to save the town of Ovejas. "So Tin Man" said the short man "what do I call you?"

"My Name is Jason Murphy, but most of my friends just call me Murphy" said the enforcer, responding to the man's question "And you are?"

The man smiled and said "Por Favor, call me Salvador."


	4. Chapter 3-Getting to know the Locals

The Pandoran sun was setting over the town of Ovejas. Murphy and A.N.N were helping with repairs to the town by repairing the damage done to the church during the failed bandit raid. Salvador came with large planks of wood over his shoulder fixing up the roof of his grandmother's home. After a few hours had passed, Salvador came by to talk to Murphy. "Thanks for sticking around a bit and fixing my town amigo" said Salvador, who was very grateful for what Murphy had done for his people.

"Well it was the least I could do after scaring the crap out of your town" Said Murphy who was busy hammering a nail into the roof of the church ,"besides I had to apologize for calling you shorty and I thought this would be the best way to do it." The Gunzerker laughed at Murphy's statement but was still a bit peeved about the short remark made by Murphy.

"Hey amigo, mi abuela is making dinner and I was wondering if you wanted to join us" asked Salvador "it will give us some time to chat and I had a few questions to ask you." Although the Gunzerker had befriended Murphy, he was still suspicious of Murphy and was still curious about why he came to his town.

"Sure thing" said Murphy as he finished up with the church's repairs. The Enforcer then proceeded to jump off the roof and land feet first to the ground. Salvador and Murphy headed to the grandmother's home where she had prepared a big meal to reward the heroes. Salvador and Murphy entered the home and then proceeded to sit opposite of each other on wooden chairs placed around a table. Murphy placed his duffle bag under his seat so he could keep an eye on it at all times.

The grandmother appeared with two plates of skag skewers and placed them on the table "Here you go" said the old women placing the plates on the table "One plate of skag skewers for the young gentlemen and another para mi Salvadito" the old lady then pinched Salvador on his bearded cheek, Murphy didn't say anything but was holding in his laughter in an attempt at being polite near the dinner table.

"Abuela, stop it por favor, you're embarrassing me in front of our guest" said Salvador, who's cheeks grew red with embarrassment. The grandmother agreed to stop pinching her grandson and then proceeded to head up the stairs to take a nap in lite of today's events. Salvador began to devour the cooked skag, he picked up the food with his hands and food began flying everywhere with every bite he took. Murphy was disgusted at the sight of the skag and at Salvador's table manners.

"Hey amigo, are you gonna eat that" asked the Gunzerker with his mouth still full. The food then flew from his mouth onto Murphy's visor. The Enforcer kept his cool and then wiped off the food and the spit on his visor with a dinner rag.

"No, I'm good" said Murphy "I'm still full from the food the shuttle served on the way here." Murphy was lying to the Gunzerker in an attempt to not hurt his feeling about his grandmother's cooking. The other reason why he lied was because he didn't want to remove his helmet due to the fact he didn't want Salvador to lose his appetite if he saw the Enforcer's face. Murphy considered his own face to be disfigured after the cybernetic augmentation he went through seven years ago.

"Fair enough" said Salvador as he grabbed Murphy's meal and started eating it almost immediately "So what brings you to Pandora amigo, are you a Vault Hunter" asked Salvador who was still suspicious of Murphy. The reason Salvador asked if Murphy was a Vault Hunter was because of Murphy's unique talents and the way he fought the bandits which reminded Salvador of himself and his fellow Vault Hunters during their adventures together.

"No I'm not a vault hunter" Said Murphy "I'm a police officer from Eden-5 asked by a family to look for their daughter on Pandora." Salvador then began to laugh like a hyena at Murphy's story.

"A law man coming to the planet of the lawless, now I've heard of everything" said Salvador who was still laughing, Murphy then joined in with laughter after seeing the irony in his own story. Both Murphy and Salvador stopped laughing and continued their conversation "I'm surprised you came here by yourself to look for one person. I thought cops never worked alone" said Salvador. A.N.N responded to the Gunzerker's comment about Murphy coming to the planet alone.

"Who said he came alone?" asked A.N.N to Salvador through Murphy's helmet.

"Where the hell did that come from" wondered Salvador who heard the AI's voice. Murphy then extracted the chip from the back of his Helmet and A.N.N appeared before the Gunzerker.

"Please to meet you" said A.N.N to Salvador "I am the advanced neural network but you may call me A.N.N."

"A.N.N is the reason I found your town in the first place" Said Murphy telling Salvador how he was able to find the town.

"Then she is the reason why my people are safe, gracias amiga" said Salvador, thanking A.N.N for directing Murphy to his town and saving it. A.N.N smiled, appreciating the Gunzerker's gratitude. "So what does this girl you're searching for look like" asked Salvador who wanted to help Murphy in his search of the girl. Murphy pulled out a picture of the girl from his duffle bag and showed it to Salvador. Salvador instantly recognized the person in the picture "That's mi amigita Gaige" Murphy the stood up in excitement the minute Salvador said he knew the person in the picture.

"You know this girl" said Murphy, still excited about the prospect of finding Gaige alive.

"Of course I know her" Salvador replied "She and I were two of the five vault hunters that helped stop that handsome bastard and his Warrior." Murphy had known about the events of Pandora through the Eden-5 news network. He knew about Handsome Jack, the leader of Hyperion, and how he used his power and influence in an attempt to take control of the frontier world but he ultimately failed in this goal due to the intervention of the Vault Hunters. Murphy was surprised to hear that Salvador was one of the Vault Hunters who had killed Handsome Jack and ended his plans to take over Pandora; he was even more surprised to hear that Gaige was one of the Vault Hunters as well.

"You were right Murphy, I guess she's alive after all" said A.N.N "Do you know where we can find this girl Salvador?"

"Of course I know where she is" said the Gunzerker. "Gaige is in Sanctuary with the rest of mi amigos."

"A.N.N, locate Sanctuary on the map" ordered Murphy who was ready to get moving and find Gaige.

"This is weird" said A.N.N as she looked at the map "I can't seem to find Sanctuary anywhere on the map. I can't even locate any known roads that lead to Sanctuary."

"That's because it's a flying city amigo" said Salvador. Before the vault hunters came to Pandora, Sanctuary was once one of the greatest mining vessels in the Dahl Corporation. It was sent to Pandora to mine for valuable minerals but was abandoned when the Atlas Corporation came to the planet in search of the Vault.

"That puts a damper on the mood" said A.N.N who was very frustrated at the info Salvador gave them about Sanctuary. "How the hell are we supposed to access a flying city on foot?" Salvador smiled, obviously knowing a way to the flying city.

"You can use a fast travel station to help you reach the city amigos" said Salvador "The closest one is near The Dust in Ellie's Garage, it's about a seven hour walk from here but before you decide to walk there you need to do something first."

"What exactly do we have to do" said Murphy, who wondered what Salvador's wanted him to do.

"You need to get out of that armor" said Salvador "You look like a damn Hyperion robot and trust me when I say this amigo, everyone on this planet will shoot you on sight because of it".

Murphy was disheartened by what Salvador had asked him to do. "Trust me, I would remove this damn thing if I could but I can't" said Murphy with great frustration "the armor is grafted to my skin, no matter how hard I try I'll never get this damn thing off." What Murphy said is true, after his augmentation the Nanite Suit grafted itself into Murphy's skin, forever bonded to him until the day he died. Salvador then thought of another idea to try to keep his new ally alive.

"I got an idea" Said Salvador, he then walked out of the chair and went near his deceased grandfather's old wooden chest in the kitchen. Salvador grabbed an old brown duster, a leather gun holster and a cowboy hat from the chest. He then gave it to Murphy so he could use it as a disguise to hide his armor and look more like the locals. "Try this on" Said the Gunzerker to Murphy. "These used to be mi abuelo's old clothes, they were too big to fit me but they should fit you perfectly" Murphy took the clothes Salvador gave to him. He then placed the hat over his helmet, wore the holster over his waist and then wore the duster over his armor. He then looked in the living room mirror of the house and gave an annoyed look at his reflection.

"This is stupid" yelled Murphy "I look like I belong in a goddamn spaghetti western!" Salvador and A.N.N looked at each other, remained quiet for a few seconds, and began laughing at Murphy. This annoyed the already enraged Enforcer even more.

"I'm sorry" said A.N.N, still laughing at her partner "It's just that you look hilarious!"

"Look at this way, at least mi amigos at Sanctuary won't mistake you for some damn Hyperion robot and start shooting at you" said Salvador trying to cheer up Murphy.

"Better to be laughed at then shot at I guess" said Murphy who was still somewhat peeved at Salvador and A.N.N for laughing at him. Murphy then began to think that, in a way, this was Salvador's way of getting back at Murphy for calling him shorty. "A.N.N, locate Ellie's garage on the map, we're rolling out tonight" ordered Murphy trying to focus on the task at hand.

"Hold on amigo" said Salvador "it's already night outside and I know you had a busy day. You should stay here for the night and get some rest."

"Thanks for the offer" said Murphy "but A.N.N and I need to get a move on as soon as possible. I gave that family my word I would find their daughter and I'm not going to waste time sleeping in a bed knowing that she's out there."

"Murph, you need rest" said A.N.N agreeing with Salvador. "You haven't slept in the past 50 hours and you need to be well rested if you plan on surviving long enough to find Gaige. Cyborg or not you are still human. Besides, she'll be there when we get to Sanctuary. After all, it's not like that flying city is just going to disappear on us overnight. "

"Your amiga is right Tin Man" said Salvador "Sanctuary will still be there when you wake up, also you need to be at your best to handle whatever The Dust has in store from you."

"What's in the Dust" Murphy asked Salvador.

"I heard about a group of ex-Hyperion goons causing trouble near the area" Said Salvador "They are stationed near Goose's roost. Those putas are a lot tougher than those bandits we fought earlier, it's better to fight them at your best rather than fighting them while exhausted." Not wanting to get into an argument with both A.N.N and Salvador, Murphy complied with their request and decided to stay for the night.

"Where do I sleep" asked Murphy.

"You can use the living room couch for a bed amigo" said Salvador "it's not exactly comfy but it's all I can offer you."

"Thanks Salvador" said Murphy begrudgingly. Salvador then went up the stairs and headed to his room. Murphy placed A.N.N on the living room table and then laid his back on the old couch. Murphy closed his eyes and began to sleep, eagerly awaiting the sun rise.


	5. Chapter 4-Old Wounds

While Murphy was asleep, he began to have a dream of his childhood in Eden-5. He was lying on the ST. Joseph's Orphanage's balcony, stargazing with his younger sister Ann.

"Jason, what do you think it's like up there in the stars" said Ann, watching the stars through her brother's old telescope.

"I don't know Ann" said Murphy, who was resting on the balcony "I know there's adventure, new worlds to explore, and mysteries we haven't even discovered yet. So I think deep space is pretty exciting if you ask me."

"Jason, when I grow up, I want to be a Vault Hunter" Said Ann, eager to find adventure outside of her home. Ever since she could read, Ann became enamored with the idea of looking for the ancient vaults, Murphy thought it was a silly dream but he didn't say anything because he didn't want to upset his sister "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

"I don't know Ann" said Murphy who was still wondering what to do after he grew "but whatever it is, I won't be doing it in this dump" Murphy said with great disdain for his home world. Eden-5 was not a place for children as crime and violence ruled the streets, Murphy despised his world for those reasons but he cared for the people of his planet, especially his sister.

"Don't say that about our home Jason" snapped Ann who did not share Murphy's disdain for the planet "mom and dad always told us to be happy with what we have and to never hold hate in your heart or bad things would happen." Murphy didn't want to upset his sister anymore so he just nodded to her to show that he agreed with her. Ann might have been naïve but her kindness and compassion kept Murphy from being like the rest of the boys in the orphanage as they were involved in many criminal activities.

"Come on Ann, it's getting late and you need your rest for tomorrow" said Murphy "Father Joseph is getting the rest of the kids together for that trip off world and I know you don't want to miss out on it" Ann's eyes filled with childish glee when Murphy mentioned the trip to one Eden-5's sister planets. She was ready to head downstairs to go to bed but then Murphy and Ann heard a noise near the living room.

"Jason, what was that?" said Ann whose voice shivered with fear.

"I don't know Ann. Stay here while I'll check it out" said Murphy.

"Be careful Jason, I don't want to lose you too" Ann said, she then hugged her brother for good luck before he went down the stairs. Murphy quietly went down the stairs to see what was going on in the living room. As Murphy peeked through the cracks of the door, he saw a dirty man wearing torn up street clothes, had very shaky hands, and was muttering nonsense. Murphy could tell the man was on some powerful drugs and that he was here looking for some cash for his next fix. Murphy grabbed a bat from the closet, snuck through the door in the living room, snuck behind the junkie and then readied himself to knock him out.

The Junkie immediately saw Murphy and he grabbed the bat before Murphy could hit him with it. The Junkie pulled out his knife and started to attack Murphy with it. The Junkie used the knife to cut Murphy's right eye and the left side of his lip. Before The Junkie could finish Murphy off, Murphy bit his hand, blood began to pour out of the bite wound Murphy made and the Junkie dropped the knife due to the pain. Murphy grabbed the knife and stabbed the man in his Achilles tendon. In a blind rage, the Junkie knocked Murphy out with a left hook to the head. He then pulled out his gun and pointed it at the young boy but before he could kill Murphy a girl's voice was heard shouting from the stairs.

"Jason!" shouted Ann who saw her brother in pain. The Junkie was scared and shot at the girl the minute she screamed. Murphy then awoke from the nightmare, scared out of his mind for several seconds.

"Ann no!" screamed Murphy, he then realized that he was not at the orphanage but in Salvador's home, sleeping on the couch. The Enforcer was confused for a moment but when he saw his metallic hand he then understood he just had a bad dream. Murphy's screaming had awoken A.N.N who was in standby mode while he slept.

"Murphy, are you okay?" said A.N.N, afraid that her partner was in trouble.

"I'm fine A.N.N, don't worry about me." Murphy said, reassuring his AI companion.

"Murphy, what happened?" asked A.N.N, who was still very worried. "I heard you screaming and detected that your heart rate had sky rocketed, I thought for a minute that you were attacked."

"It was just a bad dream." Said Murphy, his voice was very shaky and his breathing was heavy "Go back to standby mode, I'll be outside if you need me." Murphy then proceeded to walk toward the front door and get some fresh air outside.

"Was it the same dream again?" A.N.N asked, "Do you want to talk about it?" Her attempts to comfort her friend fell at deaf ears as he avoided the questions and walked outside the front door. This was not the first time he had this dream, after his memory had been restored, Murphy suffered from the same reoccurring nightmare of the night of his sister's death at the hands of that Junkie for the past 2 years. The Enforcer walked outside, and looked at the sky, wondering how it was still night on Pandora. He checked his internal clock to see how long he was asleep. Murphy learned that he was asleep for the past 12 hours. Murphy then realized that Pandora's day and night cycles were much longer than that of Eden-5's; it would take some time for Murphy to get used to Pandora's cycles. At first, Murphy looked at the stars of Pandora's night sky with wonder like he did as a child but then that wonder turned to a deep rooted sense of despair and guilt. Murphy punched some numbers into his wrist and began to record another log.

"Mission Log" said Murphy to the device "I have found the Location of Gaige thanks to the help of one of the locals in the town of Ovejas, turns out she was one Vault Hunters that defeated Handsome Jack. I still find it hard to believe a kid and her science project could kill the CEO of Hyperion. When the sun rises, I plan on heading out to The Dust and using the fast travel station in Ellie's Garage to get to Sanctuary. I had the nightmare again, about the day my sister…" Murphy paused for a minute as he shuddered at the memory of his sister's death. After the short pause, Murphy continued his log. "Sometimes I wish I never had my memories back, although they have freed me from my imprisonment with Holloway, they have tortured me with guilt, constantly reminding me of my failures and crimes toward my own people. A.N.N wanted to talk to me about it but I avoided the conversation. Right now, I'm focused solely on the mission and nothing else. I don't have the luxury to worry about my own problems. Maybe after the mission is over, I may be able to finally clear my conscious and free myself from this Purgatory. This is Lieutenant Jason Murphy of the Eden-5 Police department, signing off". Murphy ended the recording and returned to sleep.

It was finally morning in Ovejas, Murphy was standing just outside of town with A.N.N inside of his helmet. Murphy was dressed in the outfit Salvador gave him and was checking his duffle bag again to see if he had enough supplies for his seven hour walk to The Dust. Salvador was walking toward the Enforcer, holding a piece of paper in his hand. Salvador handed Murphy the paper once he had reached him.

"What this" Murphy asked, wondering what was important about the piece of paper.

"It's a letter of introduction, amigo" said Salvador "This will let the Vault Hunters know that you are on their side. I'd communicate a message to them with my Echo device but the damn won't work out here in the sticks."

Murphy then placed the paper in the bag and zipped it up. He then turned to Salvador one last time before he walked off, "Thank you for the hospitality Salvador, I appreciate it" said Murphy.

"Any time amigo" said the Gunzerker. Salvador took a good look at Murphy's bag and asked "Are you sure you have enough supplies for the trip? Pandora can be a brutal place amigo, trust me". Unlike the other Vault Hunters, Salvador was a Pandoran born and bred and knew what it took to survive the horrors of this hostile planet. In his fight for survival, Salvador committed many crimes to keep he and his grandmother safe which included several counts of murder, profanity, destruction of property, arson, and even cannibalism.

"Don't worry Salvador, I got plenty for the trip ahead" said Murphy, confident that he could handle anything the planet could throw at him. Murphy was unique because although he was an offworlder, he could survive the hostile environment of Pandora. His Cybernetic physiology allowed him to survive extended periods of time without sleep, food, and water while his suit was almost completely resistant to the natural elements whether it was the hot Pandoran sun, the cold winds of the arctics, or the flesh tearing sandstorms of the deserts.

"Are you sure you don't want to be a Vault Hunter, Tin Man" said Salvador trying to persuade Murphy into helping his allies with the everyday struggles they go through on the planet. "The Crimson Raiders could sure use a man of your unique talents amigo."

"Sorry Salvador" said Murphy "I'm not interested in being a Vault Hunter, right now I need to focus on finding this kid and getting her back home safely." Salvador understood Murphy's reason for not joining his fellow Vault Hunters and decided to drop the subject entirely. Murphy and A.N.N both said their goodbyes to the Gunzerker one last time and began walking toward the Dust, hoping to reach Sanctuary without any more delays or detours.


	6. Chapter 5-A Rock and a Hard Place

Nearly seven hours had passed and Murphy and A.N.N had reached The Dust with little trouble. During the trip, Murphy and A.N.N had a couple of run in's with some bandits and skags but it was nothing Murphy couldn't handle. A.N.N broke the long silence by making a rather insulting comment about Murphy's newfound attire. "Hey Murphy, I bet you'll be glad to be rid of that ridiculous cowboy outfit once we've reached Sanctuary right?" said A.N.N, still giggling a bit at the disguise Murphy wore over his armor.

"To be honest, it's actually kind of growing on me" said Murphy, chuckling a bit after he made the statement. "I might keep it as a souvenir once we get back home."

"Please don't" said A.N.N, still taking jabs at Murphy. A.N.N's voice immediately changed from a humorous tone to a more serious one as she began to ask her friend about last night. "Murphy, do you want to tell me about the dream last night?"

"I don't want to talk about." Said Murphy whose tone of voice was very dark toward A.N.N

"Murphy I have been you're friend for over seven years now and ever since your memory returned to you, you have changed" said A.N.N with a great deal of concern

"Yeah you're right, I have changed" said Murphy, his anger began to show as he began to spoke louder "I'm no longer some hired gun who kills innocent people so some heartless bastard can live a life of luxury" Murphy was of course referring to Mr. Holloway, the man that changed Murphy from a good cop to a cyborg assassin against his own will.

"That's not what I meant" A.N.N shouted "What I meant was that you've become more distant from humanity Jason. You've allowed your guilt to consume you and you've shut me out every time I've tried to help you deal with your inner demons. Ever since you regained your memories two years ago I've watched you change from a good honest man into a heartless machine who doesn't want anyone to be involved with his personal life, including his closest friends."

"Well you would know a thing or two about being a heartless machine wouldn't you A.N.N!" yelled Murphy. His callous comment had greatly upset A.N.N as she was trying to help the only family she knew.

"I'm sorry Murphy" said A.N.N with great sadness in her voice "I just wanted to help you."

"I'm sorry A.N.N" said the Enforcer who had realized how cold he had been to A.N.N "It's just so hard to talk about the mistakes I've made and my failures along the way. I just try to bottle it up and hope it goes away but it just hurts even more. I'll try to talk about it more when we reach Sanctuary, sound good?"

"Ok Murphy" said A.N.N who felt somewhat better knowing that Murphy would try to deal with his issues and let her help with them. She had known the Enforcer her entire life but in the past two years she felt that she was talking with a completely different person. During his time of servitude with Holloway, Murphy was a trained killing machine but he was still human at heart as he showed remorse and compassion to each of his victims. He was the only person that treated the AI as a human being and not a tool to be used to get the job done. He was like an open book to her, telling her about the things he felt and always looking out for her in those do or die situations, but after his memory returned he gradually grew colder and more distant toward her as his guilt began to fester inside of him like an infected wound.

Before Murphy could say anything to make A.N.N feel better, he spotted a flying object over the Horizon. "What the hell is that?" wondered Murphy

"It's not a bandit buzzard" said A.N.N, analyzing the airborne object in the distance. "It's giving off a strange energy signature and I'm detecting some serious firepower. Be careful Murphy." Murphy proceeded to unzip his duffle bag and take out a Vintage Torgue Cobra sniper rifle. The rifle was custom made with an advanced scope with adjustable zoom, recoil dampeners, and colored with a pitch black finish with gold letters inscribed on the right side of the Barrel which read "400% more awesome! Also, I ain't made out of friggin wood". The rifle was very rare and very unique due to the fact Torgue discontinued the manufacturing of sniper rifles because He believed you couldn't appreciate a good explosion from the distance.

Murphy kneeled down on the desert sand, adjusted his weapon's scope, aimed slightly ahead of the flying object, gently squeezed the trigger and fired away. The explosive round from the rifle almost immediately hit the object, blowing off its right wing. The object began hurdling toward Murphy's general direction as smoke and fire began to emit from the damaged wing. The Enforcer stood calmly, not moving a muscle as the object hit the ground right in front of his feet, and sand flew up in the desert winds after the object made impact with the ground.

"Good shot Murph" said A.N.N, complimenting Murphy on his marksmanship.

"Thank you A.N.N" said Murphy, warmly accepting A.N.N's compliment. As the sand cleared, Murphy placed his rifle back inside his bag and began to inspect the object. "This thing isn't a buzzard, it's a Hyperion jet loader" said Murphy as he inspected the destroyed loader.

"Sal did warn us of Hyperion activity in the area" said A.N.N, reminding Murphy of what to expect. A.N.N then detected more energy signatures similar to the loader heading toward them from above the sky. "Murphy, I'm detecting a large number of incoming hostiles, be on guard!" Murphy then pulled out his Dahl Hornet from his leather holster and prepared for the incoming enemies. As A.N.N had predicted, 25 jet Loaders accompanied by a super badass loader had landed near Murphy, with all their weapons ready to attack the pair.

"Attention bandit scum" said super badass loader pointing his plasma cannons at Murphy "Die!" The loader then began to open fire on Murphy but Murphy digistructed his Riot Shield to block the incoming fire. Murphy fired his Hornet at three of the jet loaders, melting their armor and circuitry with the corrosive pistol. The rest of the loaders began to open fire on Murphy with laser cannons but not before Murphy hid for cover under a large rock formation near his right.

"This is almost as bad as the time on Vectus" yelled A.N.N as the lasers began to carve through their cover.

"You and I remember Vectus very differently" joked Murphy under the very strenuous circumstances, he then digistructed a tesla gauntlet on his left hand and began charging it to attack the loaders. Murphy then jumped out of cover, used his shield to block the incoming laser fire and then he fired 15 large jolts of electricity out of his gauntlet. The electricity from his gauntlet fried 15 of the jet loaders, turning them into electric ash, Murphy then disposed of the rest of the loaders with his Hornet pistol. Murphy then opened fire with his pistol on the super badass loader but to no affect as the loader shrugged off the corrosive bullets as if they were nothing.

"Murphy, the Riot Shield can't hold out much longer" warned A.N.N "you only have 15 seconds before the shield runs out of energy!" Thinking quickly, Murphy digistructed a slag cannon over his left hand and fired a large ball of slag at the loader, weakening his armor.

"Slag detected" yelled the loader as the residue began to soften up his nearly impenetrable armor. Murphy then charged with his shield in hand, blocked the incoming plasma bolts from the loader's cannons and used the shield to knock the loader on its back. He then punched through its armor with his metallic left hand, wires and oil began to fly everywhere as Murphy drove his fist deeper inside the loader's chest. Murphy then pulled out the loaders power core and crushed it with his bare hands, oil began seeping through the cracks in the core and began to run down Murphy's metallic fingers. The loaders eyes changed from a bright red color to pitch black as it began shutting down. Murphy threw the core on the ground as he watched the loader finally shut down, Murphy's Riot Shield digistructed back into his armor as it had ran out of energy and began to recharge for the next time he needed it.

"That wasn't so bad" huffed Murphy, obviously exhausted from his battle with the loaders.

"Let's not do that again shall we?" said A.N.N to her confident partner. But before she could tell her partner to get moving, 4 Constructors accompanied by 20 RPG Loaders and 45 Hyperion troops came crashing down from the sky, pointing every ounce of fire power they had toward Murphy with targeting lasers literally covering the Enforcer's armor.

"Attention Vault Hunter, drop your weapons and prepare to die!" said The Hyperion officer.

"Don't you mean drop your weapons OR prepare to die." said Murphy, making his typical quips during a dangerous situation. The Enforcer's shield was still charging and even then he didn't have enough firepower to take on all the troops by himself.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, hold your fire bots!" said a voice over a planet wide echo transmitter to the troops; Murphy too heard it through his radio transmitter in his helmet. "I want this one alive, he may have something we need to find The Champion's lost armory. Bring him to Goose's Roost intact or I will be very pissed!"

"Yes sir, Commander Johnson" said the officer "You're one lucky son of bitch Vault Hunter, now drop your weapons and put your hands in the air". Knowing he didn't stand a chance against these odds, Murphy dropped his weapons and placed his hands in the air. The officer then took Murphy's weapons and duffle bag, handcuffed the Enforcer's hands with reinforced steel cuffs and took him to Goose's Roost via an old Hyperion combat shuttle with the rest of the troops following. Fifteen minutes later, the Shuttle had finally reached the roost and began its landing procedures near the northern landing tower. Hyperion troops surrounded the landing pad and the leader of the troops stood right in front of the shuttle pad, waiting for the shuttle to land open its doors.

The man did not look like a typical Hyperion commander; he had Blonde hair combed neatly to the back, green eyes, his skin had a tan complexion, and he wore crimson and orange Hyperion armor with several notches right over the left side of the armor's breast plate. He had a miniature Gatling gun over his right shoulder with a switch to adjust the gun's elemental firing modes, a miniature missile launcher, with the words "The Ex-Wife" inscribed on the left side, on his right shoulder, and a Bowie Knife made out of a rare but powerful Eridian metal inside of sheath on his left boot. The door to the Shuttle opened its doors, large groups of Hyperion troops exited the small craft first and the last two troops escorted the captured Enforcer down the ramp, where the leader stood eagerly awaiting to make Murphy's acquaintance.

The Troops all stood in formation and saluted as the commander began to make his way toward Murphy. "A-ten-hut, commander on deck!" yelled one of the soldiers keeping guard of Murphy.

"At ease, Soldiers" said the commander, the soldiers then stopped saluting and awaited further orders from their leader. "Get this ridiculous outfit off this dude; it's a damn eye sore for god sake." The soldiers guarding Murphy removed his duster, cowboy hat, and leather holster to reveal the advanced Nanite Suit under it "While you're at it, take off his helmet. I want to see his face."

A soldier followed the leader's orders and began to remove Murphy's helmet but the minute he touched his helmet the soldier was zapped with a huge volt of electricity from Murphy's suit. The soldier unwittingly activated one of the suit's safety features and began to fry. The electricity began to burn through the soldier and his skin began turning pitch black and his hair began to stand up. The soldier fell to the ground, suffered a massive seizure and died on the spot. The leader laughed a bit after watching one of his men die but then returned to his serious demeanor.

"Dude seriously, what's with the helmet" asked the leader to Murphy.

"Keeps my face pretty" joked Murphy, trying to keep cool in a serious situation. The Leader then placed his hands cautiously on Murphy's chest and began to read the alien writings on it.

"I am the guardian of the vaults and champion of my people, fighting for another sunrise" said the Commander as he translated the writing on the armor. Murphy was shocked at how the man could understand the ancient writings of the suit. Over the years while trapped inside the Suit, neither he nor A.N.N could translate what it said. "Gentlemen, we have found the Champion's Armor" shouted the commander; his men began to celebrate when they heard the news. "This is a great victory for us indeed men, now return to your stations and prepare the shuttles for the Arid Nexus while I interrogate our guest. Lock him up in the central command building" Said the Commander with a sinister smile on his face.


	7. Chapter 6-Sojos de El Diablo

Near the center of the camp, where the Roost's central command was stationed, Murphy was chained to a metal operating table surrounded by doctors and guards which was very similar to the Cybernetics' Division science lab where Murphy underwent his augmentation and placed in the Nanite Suit. The chains were reinforced with powerful Eridian metals and a large laser cutter floated over Murphy's head. Murphy's disguise and gear were locked away in a secure locker sitting right next to him. The Enforcer tried to break his binds but even with his unnatural strength, he was unable to break them.

"A.N.N, can you still hear me" whispered the Enforcer.

"I'm still here, hero" whispered A.N.N, who was trying to hack the systems to free her partner but was unable to due to locks heavy encryption "I can't get you out of these bindings Murphy, I'm sorry."

"Don't worry, I got plan" whispered Murphy again, reassuring his AI companion that they would escape. "Activate the corrosive emitters on my wrists, I may be able to melt the locks and get us out of here. It will take a while for the locks to melt off but we should be able to escape." A.N.N complied with Murphy's orders and activated the emmiters. An invisible but potent acidic substance began to seep through the joints of Murphy's wrist and slowly eat away at the chains. While Murphy was attempting to escape from his captors, the commander walked in to begin his interrogation of the Enforcer.

"Hey, how are you doing?" said the commander, ecstatic to meet the enforcer. "I'm sorry we had to lock you up like this but after you blew up my bots with the greatest of ease and fried my soldier we couldn't risk our security, plus the fact that you my friend have something very important to our cause. Oops, I'm getting ahead of myself again aren't I? Allow to intro myself, I am Commander William Johnson, ex-commanding officer of the Hyperion 27th rifleman regiment and the current leader of what's left of the Hyperion Military on Pandora, please to meet you. And what do I call you?"

"Murphy" said the Enforcer, obviously not in the talking mood.

"Murph my man, can I call you Murph?" Said Johnson, annoying Murphy even further "Whatever, the reason I'm here to interrogate you personally is to ask you just two very simple questions and to make you an offer. Question number one, where did you find this advanced piece of hardware you call the Nanite Suit. I mean, I have been looking through every known Eridian tomb and ruin throughout this entire galaxy and have never found zip on it but today I find it on my doorstep being used by someone who probably has no idea what it is and what secrets lie within it."

"I'll tell you where I found it" said Murphy "Some kid was selling it to me in garage sale on the planet Prometheus, he gave me a good deal I couldn't refuse so I bought it, been together ever since." Murphy was obviously joking around to buy himself some extra time for his escape.

"Good one" said Johnson, not amused by Murphy's childish story "Second question, do you know why I've been looking for this suit?"

"I don't know, use it to avenge your deceased boss, Handsome Jack, who I may add got his ass kicked by midget and a high school kid" said Murphy, still trying to buy himself time. Murphy's comment about Jack obviously enraged Johnson.

"Don't ever mention that disfigured code monkey again!" yelled Johnson with great disdain in his voice. "Do you know what he did to me, hmm? He ruined me! I was once one of the most respected soldiers in the Hyperion Military, people trembled in fear at the very mention of my name but then that arrogant bastard gets lucky and finds the key, the vault, and a crap ton of Eridium and becomes the friggin CEO of the company I served for years. And do you know what he did to me, he launched me through space with a goddamn moon cannon just because I didn't agree with him about wasting our manpower on some children's story, that and the fact I mocked him when he was a nobody, stole vital resources, technology, weapons, Intel for personal gain and the fact that I called him an ugly sumbitch on several occasions but that's beside the point!"

Johnson then ended his rant and regained his composure. "Sorry, I usually never lose my cool like that, the reason why I want that armor is because it contains the location of the most powerful arsenal in the universe, the guns of the Eridian's Champion." The minute Murphy learned that the suit once belonged to an Eridian he was interested in the story.

"You're telling me that this suit belonged to some Eridian" said Murphy, curious to learn more of the origins of his suit.

"Bingo" said Johnson "But from what I can tell, someone must have modified it heavily for human use which is awesome. Tell me the name of the brilliant mind that found this suit and modified it so I could meet him."

"You already asked two questions" said Murphy, trying to avoid anything that involved Holloway and to buy himself more time.

"Damn that's right, I only promised to ask two questions, oh well" sighed Johnson "But now to the suit's history, cause I know you're just dying to know more about that suit. Long ago before humanity even existed, the Eridians were at the brink of extinction after some big war involving gods and people with weird magical powers, yada yada yada, and all that mystical bullshit. But after the war, The Eridian's Champion was charged by their god to watch over the vault key and guard the Vaults of the galaxy. He was loaded with these big ass guns that could burn a planet literally twenty times over and he wore the same suit you are using now my friend. The Eridians later grew desperate and wanted to use the power of the Vaults to rule the universe again but of course, The Champ had to be a huge dick and wiped them off the face of the universe. After that, he suffered from a serious case of guilt, stashed his guns in one of Pandora's Vaults so no else could abuse their power or some other retarded reason and he disappeared with the suit which had the information of every Vault containing ancient Eridian weapons of mass destruction, including his kickass arsenal."

"Sorry pal but I don't have any information on the Champion's Vault so you're just wasting your damn time" said Murphy who was not in the mood to talk to Johnson.

"Sure you do, you just don't know it?" Johnson said with great confidence "You see, that douche of a Champion stored it deep within the confines of his suit's data banks. The data was heavily encrypted to keep that information secret, paranoid bastard. And I believe that your girlfriend has an idea of where it is." Johnson was of course referring to A.N.N, believing that deep in her programing lies the data he needed to find the Champion's lost arsenal. This new information at first shocked Murphy as he didn't want to believe that his oldest friend would hide something so dangerous from him.

"A.N.N is this true?" asked Murphy who wanted to know the truth. A.N.N remained silent, not wanting to answer the question.

"Of course she does" said Johnson "Hell, I bet whoever created her wanted her to the decrypt the data in the suit but let's get back on topic now shall we? I have an offer for you."

"What is it?" said Murphy, who suspected what his offer was.

"If you help me get the data I need on the location of the vault, you and I could work together and make this galaxy our bitch." said Johnson with great enthusiasm in his voice. "With those guns and my army, no one would be able to stop us!"

"How do you plan on opening the Vault" wondered Murphy "If what you're telling me is true then you're gonna need the Vault Key to open that armory."

"That's where part two plan comes in" said Johnson "The vault key itself is at Sanctuary guarded by those crimson A-holes but even with the key we need two more things to open the Vault, Eridium to charge that sumbitch, and a Siren to channel all that energy to charge it. I already got the Eridium so all I need is a Siren and the key which will be a piece of cake with my full proof plan and your help Murph. What do you say, partners?"

"First I got a few questions for you" said Murphy "How the hell did you survive getting shot through space with a moon cannon?"

"Easy, I used an experimental teleporter while in mid-flight and ended up on Eden-6. Stole that sucker right under Jack's plastic surgery nose" said Johnson with glee "Hottest bitches in the universe! After that I gathered followers from all corners of the galaxy to aid me in my cause to find the Champ's vault and suit."

"Second question" said Murphy "What makes you think you'll succeed where Jack failed?"

"Easy" said Johnson with a sinister tone in his voice "I'm not gonna obsess myself with looking for one measly super weapon like Jack did with the Warrior, I'm going to get enough super weapons to supply an entire friggin army. And I'm not gonna waste my time trying to tame some frontier world to satisfy my massive ego, I'm just gonna burn this dumbass planet with smile on my face. The other reason I'm not gonna fail is that I have an army of trained killers and state of the art machinery not bunch of flimsy bots ,idiot workers, or undead soldiers. And if you're wondering about the undead soldiers, that was Duraph's idea for taking over Pandora and let me tell you it was just stupid. Hell Duraph's plan was just as retarded as Jack's, I mean come on! An undead army sounds good on paper but with the lack of any sophisticated weaponry and military training that plan was doomed to fail. Although I'll give him credit for the device that drains the Siren's powers, I'm still racking my brain around how that dumbass was able to pull that off." Johnson was of course referring to Duraph, Jack's right hand man, and his failed attack on the Vault Hunters almost a year ago.

"You sound confident" said Murphy "What makes you think the Vault Hunters won't stop you?"

"Those morons have no idea what I'm planning" said Johnson with great confidence. "Those idiots are too busy with raiding my Eridium mines and my small military outposts. They've barely been able to delay my plans, hell they think I want to control this shitty planet when I'm aiming for something bigger than Pandora. So what you think Murphy, do you want to be partners and become king of the galaxy?"

"Come closer and I'll tell what I think" said Murphy. Johnson walked closer to Murphy, eager to hear his answer. Murphy then cocked his head back and head-butted Johnson with the metallic dome of his helmet. Johnson's nose began to jet large pints of crimson right at the point of impact.

"Fuck, you broke my nose, you ungrateful bastard!" yelled Johnson, holding his nose to keep more blood from spilling out.

"You can take that offer and shove it straight up your ass!" Yelled Murphy "I'm not going to kill innocent people for you so you can abuse the power of the arsenal for your own personal gain!"

"So that's how it's going to be?" said Johnson "I gave you a chance at immortality and you decide to spit it back in my face over some misguided sense of morality? So disappointing, I was hoping you and I would be partners but now we do things the hard way. Soldiers, get the laser cutters ready. I want that suit removed now!

"Yes sir, but what should we do with the prisoner" asked the soldier.

"Kill him" said Johnson with his signature evil smile "Now if you excuse me, I'm going to the infirmary to get nose fixed."

The soldiers then began the skinning procedures and the laser began to cut through Murphy's armor. The Enforcer screamed in agony as the laser cutters begin to cut through his suit.


	8. Chapter 7-Danger Zone

The laser cutter had breached through Murphy's Nanite suit. The smell of boiling blood and burning flesh filled the air of the interrogation room as the laser burned Murphy's right shoulder. The Enforcer then began to have vivid flashbacks of his cybernetic augmentation years ago, he began remebering how the knives cut through him like butter when adding several cybernetic parts into his body. Murphy was about to faint due to the pain but before he blacked out, the corrosive emitters on his wrist had finally melted the locks off of Murphy's wrist. He then immediately grabbed the laser cutter and turned it toward the doctors operating, burning them alive with the laser. The Enforcer ripped the laser cutter from the ceiling and crushed is with his steel boot. The guards reacted by pointing their weapons at Murphy but were unable to stop him from attacking.

Murphy grabbed one of the guards by the back of his head and smashed the soldier's face through the concrete wall. Blood, brains, and bones splattered everywhere due to the sheer force Murphy exerted to kill the soldier. The other soldier began to fire his Electric Development Shotgun at Murphy but missed as the Enforcer grabbed the man by the face and lifted him in the air. Murphy's metal hand began to glow orange around the soldier's face, smoke began to emit from the pours of the soldier's face as he screamed in agony and suddenly his face combusted into flames. He fell to the ground, screaming as he tried to put out the fire but he eventually died as he choked on his own molten flesh. Murphy's burning hand changed back to its gun metal black color as it started to cool off.

"Murphy I'm sorry I didn't tell you about the…" but before A.N.N could finish apologizing for not telling Murphy about the Champion's arsenal, Murphy interrupted her.

"Don't worry about that now. It's not important." said Murphy "Right now we need to get out of here." Murphy winced in pain and grabbed his right shoulder, still feeling the effects of the laser cutter.

"Are you alright?" said A.N.N, worried about the condition her friend was in.

"In a couple of minutes, I will be." Said Murphy as he reassured A.N.N. he then walked toward the locker that contained his gear and his disguise.

"Looks like a computer lock Murphy" said A.N.N who studied the locker. "Give me a few minutes and I may be able to…" before A.N.N could finish, Murphy plunged his fist through the locker door and ripped the door off its hinges "or you could just do that, works just as good." Murphy then wore his disguise over his armor, carried his duffle bag over his left shoulder, and picked up the dead soldiers Development shotgun and shotgun shells.

Murphy broke down the door of the interrogation room and fired buck shots at all the personnel inside. After the fight was over, Murphy remembered that he was moved to the central command building of Goose's Roost to be interrogated personally by Johnson. Computers and monitors littered the area, controlling all the machinery and security in the base. This gave the Enforcer some ideas for escape.

"So what's the play hero?" asked A.N.N, wondering how they are going to escape the base.

"Scan the security computers and find out what defenses we're up against" ordered Murphy. A.N.N began to hack into the systems to see what they were dealing with. The Roost's layout and defense schematics began popping up in the monitors, radio feeds began to come in through the buildings communicators and the link to all the loaders, turrets, and constructors were activated for use.

"From what I can gather from radio traffic, Johnson and his troops have no idea we've escaped" said A.N.N, who was looking through the assorted Intel. "But the place is heavily fortified. Loaders are everywhere, turrets are scattered around the buildings ready to fire at unauthorized personnel, sniper posts have a clear vantage point of the area and we don't have the firepower to take them all on."

"Here's the plan" said Murphy, starring at the monitors and computers inside the building. "I'm going to put you into the main system. You're going to hack inside the mainframe, cut off all communications, and use the machines to our favor."

"Cut off their Intel and turn their own security system against them, I like this plan" said A.N.N eager to destroy the Roost. Murphy removed A.N.N from his helmet and placed her in the slot in the mainframe. She then began to hack in the systems with the greatest of ease as one by one, the machines began turning on their masters.

"First law disabled" said the loaders. They began attacking the Hyperion soldiers using heavy weapons fire, Constructors began summoning Surveyor units to attack the snipers near the tower and provide support to the other loaders. The soldiers began to lose their composure as their communications jammed, losing any form of communication with the other troops. Johnson ran outside of the infirmary, with a bandage to hold his broken nose in place to find out what was happening.

"What the hell is going on!" yelled Johnson, he then attempted to communicate with central command through his echo and deal with the situation. "Command, do you read me, shut down the bots, do you hear me? Command!" Johnson was met with complete silence from the radio. He was then attacked by two war loaders who were aiming their guns at the commanding officer.

"Die, die die!" yelled the loaders as they opened fire on Johnson. Johnson activated his Gatling gun, switched it to corrosive mode, and began raining bullets at the loaders, ripping through their armor and turning them in a pile of goo.

"Sir we're being attacked by our own forces" yelled a soldier who came rushing toward Johnson. At first, Johnson had no idea how this could have happened but then he remembered that Murphy was in the central command building when he left. He then realized that Murphy must have broken out and hacked the system.

"Son of a bitch!" screamed Johnson "I know who's causing this. Get your men to the command building ASAFP sergeant and kill that prisoner before he causes more damage, do you hear me!"

"Sir, yes sir" said the sergeant, he then gathered the remaining squad and took them to the central command building, with Johnson leading them through the base.

"The chaos should buy us some time to escape" said Murphy. He began to unzip his duffle bag and pull out 3 explosive charges.

"What are you going to do with those Murphy?" wondered A.N.N.

"I'm going to blow this place sky high" said Murphy "Find the refueling stations on the map and I'll set the charges. We'll only have 5 minutes before this place goes up in smoke."

"Murphy wait" said A.N.N who discovered something in the mainframe "I found some information about Hyperion that may be useful. I found their weapons manifests, bases and outposts all over the planet, their plans for an attack on sanctuary, and something about a city called Opportunity but the files are heavily encrypted."

"Can you decrypt them?" asked Murphy.

"Yes except the two files about the plans for the attack and the data on Opportunity" said A.N.N "Those files will take me at least 2 weeks to decrypt."

"Download those files into your memory" ordered Murphy "They may prove useful to the Vault Hunters back at Sanctuary and help them stop Hyperion."

"I thought we were just going after Gaige and getting her off this rock" said A.N.N, reminding Murphy of their original mission parameters.

"Plan's changed" said Murphy "I'm not gonna let Hyperion get their hands on that armory. If they succeed in finding the Vault then Pandora, Eden-5, and all the other worlds will be in danger. I can't let that happen." A.N.N agreed with Murphy's decision to fight Hyperion and downloaded the files in the computer so the Vault Hunters could use them when the pair had finally reached Sanctaury. Murphy extracted A.N.N from the mainframe once the download had been completed, placed her back in his helmet, and he proceeded to exit the building while Hyperion was still busy dealing with the machines.

On the other side of the Roost, Johnson and a group of men were dealing with a large group of loaders just outside of the landing pad, Johnson fired the Ex-Wife missile launcher from his shoulder and wiped out a large group of loaders. Johnson and his men then laid waste to a Badass Constructor who was firing lasers at the men. After several minutes of fighting loaders, Johnson and the men had finally reached central command building with no casualties in the group. The men then searched the area for Murphy but were unable to find him.

"Area's clear sir" said the sergeant "No sign of the prisoner sir." Johnson was enraged from the news of Murphy's escape but he regained composure and focused on the task at hand. Johnson then went to the monitors, typed in the codes to deactivate the machines and reactivate communications. The machines immediately stopped firing and entered standby mode and the radio signals were back on.

"That takes care of that" said Johnson, breathing a heavy sigh of relief. Johnson and his men then exited the building to scout the base for Murphy. "Sergeant, search the base for that bastard, there's no way he could have gone far in his condition. Be on guard, he is armed and very dangerous. If you find him, shoot him on sight, then bring the body back to the Nexus so we can extract the data from his suit, understood?"

"Loud and clear sir" said the sergeant understanding his orders. Before the search for the Enforcer could begin, 3 large explosions went off one after another near the vicinity of the refueling stations. Before his escape, Murphy had planted 3 blast charges on the refueling tanks and set them to explode 5 minutes after his escape. Fire from the explosions killed most of the remaining troops in the area with the exception of Johnson and his group.

"Motherfucker!" screamed Johnson, obviously enraged after losing most of his men. "I swear to god when I get my hands on that metallic piece of shit I'm going to rip him apart!"

"Sir, should we go after the prisoner?" asked the sergeant, wondering if their mission parameters had changed.

"No, regroup with the remaining forces and head back to the Arid Nexus" said Johnson, regaining his composure "We wouldn't stand a chance against him in our current status. Right now we are too low on both weapons and manpower to go after the prisoner. Also, we got lucky last time because we caught him off guard but this time he will be expecting us to follow him and take he will us out the minute he sees us. Right now we need to regroup, restock our weapons and supplies, and prepare for the assault on Sanctuary."

"But sir, what about the data?" said the sergeant, knowing that they still needed Murphy to find the Champion's Armory.

"We'll deal with that later" said Johnson "Right now we need to focus on getting the Vault Key and a Siren to open the armory, we can't waste time and resources hunting down one man. Are we clear sergeant?"

"Understood sir" said the sergeant.

"Don't worry sergeant, we'll get him eventually" said Johnson, promising his men they would find Murphy and the data. Johnson and the survivors of Goose's Roost gathered what remaining supplies were left and headed toward the Nexus to organize their next plan of attack.

Meanwhile in the desert, Murphy was walking toward Ellie's garage, hoping to make it to the fast travel station but he then paused for a minute to catch his breath in lite of today's events. Murphy then grabbed his shoulder, cringing in pain due to the laser cutter.

"Murphy, are you still hurt" A.N.N said. She had felt guilty for not being able to help Murphy escape earlier and considered herself useless.

"Don't worry A.N.N, I'm fine" said Murph, assuring his AI companion that he was okay. "The Nanites in my blood and armor are starting to kick in, that's all." When Murphy was bonded to the suit, Nanites were injected inside of his bloodstream to repair any damage caused to his being. The Nanites could fix anything from broken circuitry, to flesh wounds, to broken bones. Murphy removed his duster for a minute to see how his repairs were going. His wound began to stop bleeding as the Nanites began to repair the severed circuits in his shoulder and eventually close the wound itself. The Nanites then began repairing the damage that had been done to Murphy's Nanite suit. The suit appeared as if it was brand new after the repairs were finished. Murphy then wore the duster over his armor again and continued to walk through the desert. As the sun began setting over the horizon, Murphy's cybernetic eyes were fueled with a sense of great determination as he vowed to stop Johnson and end Hyperion.

"A.N.N, I'm going to stop those bastards, whatever the cost" said Murphy "But I need to know if I can still count on you."

"I've stood by you throughout all these years haven't I" said A.N.N, showing her willingness to help stop Johnson and the remaining Hyperion forces. "No matter what happens, I'm with you to the very end."


	9. Chapter 8-Minor Detour

Thirty minutes after their escape, Murphy and A.N.N were close to the entrance to Ellie's Garage. Murphy began to walk toward the garage but then stopped for a second to ask A.N.N something before heading to Sanctuary.

"A.N.N, about the data involving the Champion's vault, is it true that you have its location somewhere in your data banks?" Murphy asked. Ever since Johnson revealed the history of his Nanite Suit and its connection to the Eridians, Murphy could not help but wonder if A.N.N was hiding the truth from him.

"Yes and no" said A.N.N. "Before I was assigned to be your aid, Holloway created me with the technology from the suit and the most advanced tech Eden-5's science divisions had to offer. My original purpose was to decrypt the data inside of the suit for Holloway but the language was too complicated for me to decrypt and it had so many security protocols that I couldn't break through the codes. I was then ordered to store the suits data in my memory and then I was assigned to you. The rest is history."

"Could you delete the data from your memory so Johnson can't get his hands on it?" asked Murphy, trying to keep the knowledge of the Vault away from Hyperion.

"No" said A.N.N solemnly "If I tried to do that, I would have to self-terminate. Holloway created a failsafe in my programing so if I ever tried to delete the files of the Champion's Suit I would…" A.N.N began to choke up a bit but she finished her sentence "Die. I have tried to work around this ever since my creation but every route I've taken has led me to a dead end. I'm sorry I never told you about this sooner Murphy."

"I never asked, remember" said Murphy, cheering up A.N.N in the process. "I haven't been exactly open to you either so to be fair, I think you shouldn't apologize to a jerk like me." A.N.N smiled to hear Murphy say that.

"Thanks for that Murphy" said A.N.N "From now on, "I won't keep anymore secrets from you."

"Same here" said Murphy, promising to be more open to A.N.N. After the conversation was over, Murphy and A.N.N finally reached Ellie's Garage at last. The outer region of the garage appeared empty with the exception of some broken vehicles, scrap metal, and tires. No one was seen in the immediate vicinity but what they found disheartened them greatly. The Fast Travel Station near the garage was completely destroyed, ripped from the ground and blown to bits. Murphy grabbed the broken monitor from the station, still in disbelief that what he had been looking for was gone.

"Son of a bitch!" yelled Murphy as he angrily punted the monitor 350 yards away into the desert. He then proceeded to sit down on the ground and plan what he should do next. "A.N.N, locate the nearest Fast Travel Station on the map as soon as possible." A.N.N began to look in the Echo system to find the nearest operating fast travel."

"The nearest one is in Tundra Express…" Said A.N.N, hesitant to say the rest of her sentence "But it's a 3 day walk from here."

"Awesome" said Murphy as he removed his hat and rubbed his metallic forehead in frustration. After his sulking was over, Murphy placed the hat back on his head, picked up his duffle bag, stood up began walking away from the garage to the Tundra Express. As he began to walk toward the Tundra, he and A.N.N heard a female voice with a southern accent from behind them.

"Oh howdy, didn't see you there" said the female voice. Murphy turned around and so a morbidly obese woman with short brown hair wearing overalls and an orange shirt under it.

"Damn, someone needs to lay off the sweets" whispered A.N.N, mocking the fat woman.

"A.N.N, shush" whispered Murphy, trying to be respectful and not insult the woman.

"I wasn't expecting any guest, especially any cute ones" said the woman, Murphy shuddered a bit after hearing that the woman was attracted to him. "The name's Ellie, I run this here garage. So what do I call you handsome?" Murphy cleared his throat and told the woman what she wanted to know.

"My name is Jason Murphy, but you can call me Murphy for short."

"Judging by the way you're dressed, you're not from around these parts are you?" asked Ellie, commenting on Murphy's western outfit.

"I'm from Eden-5" said Murphy "I came to this planet to look for a missing person. I've learned that she is in Sanctuary after conversing with one of the locals in Ovejas. I traveled to the Dust hoping to use the fast travel station in your garage but it seems to be out of order."

"Well duh" said Ellie who knew the obvious "after them Hyperion dirt bags came in and took over Goose's Roost, the Vault Hunters blew the station to smithereens to keep them jerkoffs away from Sanctuary. If you're plannin on reaching Sanctuary you need to head to the Tundra Express honey."

"That's where I was heading to next" said Murphy

"On foot? Honey, if you're wanna get to the express as fast as possible, you're gonna need some wheels" said Ellie, trying to help Murphy reach his destination. "I got one of my brother's Catch-A-Rides in my garage, you could use that to get you some wheels and get you to the station in no time." After hearing the good news, Murphy went inside of the garage with Ellie to use the Catch-A-Ride to get to the Express faster. Ellie pointed out where the device was in the garage and instructed Murphy how to use it. "Just use this panel over here and it'll get you rollin."

Murphy then pressed the button and began to pick the customizations for the car. He pressed another button and the vehicle began to digistruct right in front of him. The car was a Runner colored in navy blue and had a large rocket launcher on top of it. Murphy hopped into the car and got the engine started. "Thank you for the assistance ma'am" said Murphy, grateful for Ellie's assistance.

"No problem, good luck finding that missing person and come back and see me some time you sexy sumbitch" said Ellie as she gave a wink toward Murphy. The Enforcer then pressed his foot on the gas pedal and drove through the desert, heading toward the Express.

It was sunset on Pandora and after a 10 hour drive through the desert, Murphy had finally reached the Tundra Express. Unlike the rest of the planet, the Tundra was covered in snow and ice, the climate was colder, and bandits were nowhere to be seen. The area was covered with wild life as varkid hives and skag dens were scattered around the area. Old camps, train stations and mining facilities were abandoned and in disrepair. Murphy jumped out of his vehicle, unable to drive further into the Express due to a blockade near the entrance which prevented vehicles from accessing the area. Murphy drew out his shotgun, prepared to take on any predators that tried attacking him. The predators in the Express kept their distance as they did not see him as prey. Murphy looked up in the sky and saw Sanctuary flying in the distance; The Enforcer could sense his long journey coming to an end. He then began walking toward the Fast Travel Station near the old train station north of the Express.

Murphy noticed an abandoned sniping post in the distance as he walked deeper into the Express and paused for a minute to see if anyone was in the tower. "A.N.N, check the tower up ahead. I want to know if there are any snipers up there" ordered Murphy. A.N.N began scanning for any heat signatures to see if anyone was in the tower.

"I'm not picking up anything Murphy" said A.N.N, after completing the scan "The tower seems abandoned. Judging from the level of disrepair, I don't think it's been in use for a while."

After hearing A.N.N's analysis of the tower, Murphy continued to walk deeper into the Express and eventually found a fast travel station near an old train station. The fast travel was still operating which gave Murphy hope that they can finally reach Sanctuary. Murphy activated the interface so he could teleport to the flying city.

"Location (Sanctuary) is not marked on the Fast Travel Network, please try again at a later time" said an automated voice coming from the station.

"This planet hates me" said Murphy, disgruntled at the fact that the fact he could not make it to Sanctuary. "Ever since I came here, I've been mistaken for a Hyperion robot, held at gun point by a Vault Hunter, captured by Hyperion personnel, and now I can't get into a flying city because the Fast Travel isn't working!"

"It must be from their end Murphy, the station here appears to be working fine" said A.N.N, analyzing the station to see if it was still operational. "It's getting late, let's find a safe area to camp out for the night and try the station again, tomorrow." Murphy agreed with A.N.N and he began walking away from the station.

"Got any ideas where we should go?" asked Murphy.

"There's a cave near an abandoned mining facility" said A.N.N "We could use that as a camp site and sleep for the night."

"Good idea" said Murphy. The pair then began to walk toward the cave to rest up, hoping that tomorrow they can finally reach the flying city.


	10. Chapter 9-Guest of Honor

Murphy and A.N.N had finally reached the cave near the old mining facility. Oddly enough the entrance to it was blocked by a garage door but what they found near the cave averted their attention from the door. What they found was an old Hyperion train station, the tracks were completely destroyed and train carts littered the area around it.

"What do you think caused that Murphy?" wondered A.N.N as she stared at the wreckage.

"Looks like the rails were hit by C4 explosives attached to a pair of toy rockets" said Murphy as he studied the area. "After the rails were blown off, the train could have derailed."

"What makes you think it was C4" asked A.N.N

"The burn marks on the rails and the residue on the ground around the train carts" said Murphy who was studying the residue on the ground "These are signs of a C4 explosion." Murphy was part of Eden-5's bomb squad for 2 years before he joined the S.W.A.T team, he knew almost everything about explosives whether it was disarming them, studying a blast site, and even making them.

"And the toy rocket" asked A.N.N. Murphy then pulled out the piece of a broken toy rocket from the wreckage near a train cart and showed it to A.N.N. "Good eye Murphy." Murphy dropped the toy piece and walked back to the cave entrance blocked by the garage door.

"This is going to be a piece of cake" said Murphy, cracking his metal knuckles as he prepared to knock the door open. Before he could even take a swing at the door, A.N.N stopped Murphy.

"Murphy, wait!" yelled A.N.N "I'm detecting a heat signature coming from the inside of the cave, be on guard." Murphy heeded A.N.N's warning and pulled out his Hyperion Shock Development and prepared for a fight. Suddenly, the voice of a young girl came out of the mine's old speakers.

"Oh hi" said the voice from the speaker "Give me a second and I'll invite yous to my lovely abode." The door to the cave began to open up slowly. Murphy knew he was not in any form of danger and he lowered his weapon. After the door opened what Murphy saw surprised him, he was expecting a bandit psycho but instead he saw a young girl around the age of 15 with white hair wearing dirty clothes with a bloody psycho mask on the side of her head. "Sup sucka, the names Tina. Come on in and make yourself comfortable."

Murphy walked into the cave, the area was filled with children's toys, explosives, a table with a tea set and the back of the cave housed a small workshop with bunk beds inside. "You made it just in time for one of my muthahumpin tea parties" said Tina "You can sit next to Princess Fluffybutt, who has gazongas like you would not believe and I'll get the tea ready." Murphy sat on the chair next to the small doll with a grenade for a head. Tina then ran to a cooler next to the table to get drinks for her guest. "So big man, what do I call yas."

"You can call me Murphy" said the Enforcer, trying to be respectful to Tina.

"Not to sound nosy or anything, but I heard yous talking to a lady outside my crib, where is she anyway?" asked Tina who was still digging out of a small cooler to retrieve the small beverage for her guest. Murphy removed A.N.N from his helmet and she appeared over the chip in her usual holographic form. Tina grabbed a large bottle of liquid out of the cooler and turned around to continue the conversation and was amazed to see the AI.

"Hello Tina, I'm A.N.N, pleased to meet your acquaintance" said A.N.N. Tina stopped staring and placed the bottle on the table and opened it up to drink.

"Wow, she's really pretty but she so tiny" said Tina, commenting on A.N.N's appearance "How do you two bump uglies?" Murphy and A.N.N remained silent for a couple seconds as the conversation became very awkward after Tina asked that question.

"We're more like brother and sister, Tina. We're not a couple" said A.N.N trying to keep the conversation going while trying to clear up any misconceptions.

"Oh, whoops" said Tina. Murphy tried to change the subject by talking about the explosives in Tina's home.

"So Tina, judging from the amount of explosives scattered around your home, I'm guessing you were the one who blew up the railway outside of here" said Murphy, still curious about the wreckage outside.

"That's right cowboy" said Tina "about 2 years ago the Vault Hunters asked me to do a flava for them and destroy that Hyperion choo choo train with my explosives so they could steal the vault key from Jack."

"Impressive" said Murphy "Where is your family kid?

"Would you like a bottle of my finest tea sir and madam" said Tina, obviously trying to avoid the question. Although her face was filled with childish glee, Murphy could tell she was hiding something painful because he had the exact same look when he tried to hide something from someone ever since his sister died. At that moment, Murphy realized that she was alone in the universe like he was. During Handsome Jack's campaign to conquer Pandora and summon the Warrior, Jack used many of the planet's inhabitants for his slag experiments killing many innocent lives, including Tina's parents. The only reason Tina was not a victim of Jack's experiments was because of a grenade her mother gave her so she could use it to escape.

Murphy proceeded to take the cold bottle and try to change the subject. When he examined the bottle, he realized it wasn't tea but a bottle of soda. "Um, not to sound rude but this isn't tea, its soda" said Murphy.

"I know it's not my usual brew but it's still pimpin son" said Tina "I had bottles of the good stuff in my coola but one of my guests decided to get busy with his lady and then they had a baby together. He decided to go sober so he could be a good daddy. I decided to do my part to help him by dumpin the booze in the river and getting more appropriate beverages for the happy couple."

"Wait, how'd you even get alcohol Tina" asked A.N.N who was a bit surprised to hear that Tina used to keep booze.

"Long story" said Tina "But enough about me, let's talk about you two cowboy and madam."

"Ask away kid" said Murphy.

"First things first, why are you wearin that goofy outfit anyway" asked Tina as she attempted to hold in her laughter.

"Let's just say that he got mistaken for someone else" said A.N.N, answering for her partner.

"Makes sense to me" said Tina "considering you look like a giant killer robot I think the cowboy clothes would help deal with the unwanted attention, kinda."

"Thank you for your comment Tina" said Murphy, grinding his teeth because he was insulted again about his disguise.

"No prob son. So what brings a gentleman of your stature and a beautiful woman to a horrid planet like this" asked Tina but with a fake British accent.

"We were asked by a family from our home world, Eden-5, to look for their daughter who happens to be one of the Vault Hunters" said Murphy "A.N.N and I know she is in Sanctuary and we were headed there but the fast travel station in the city seems to be out of order at the moment so we can't get there. We've decided to camp out for the night and wait for the station to be back in operation and that's how we found this place."

"Oh, you must be talking about Gaige" said Tina who instantly remembered the young Vault Hunter after Murphy told her the reason why he came to Pandora. "If you're looking for place to crash, you could use the bottom bunk in my workshop to catch some Z's but you gotta do me flava first."

"Sure, we can help with whatever you want us to do" said A.N.N, eager to help the young bomb maker.

"My old boyfriend, Sir Reginald has decided to camp out in one of varkid hives near the old bandit mines just south of here" said Tina with disdain in her voice "he still pissed at the fact I dumped him because I learned he was violently racist. I need you to take care of him for me."

"Ok, I'll take care of him for you" said Murphy. He thought this was just some silly children's game and it would be another easy job. He stood up, placed A.N.N back in his helmet, and began to walk out of the cave.

"Wait up playa" said Tina "if you're planning on killing my ex you're gonna need to take off the cowboy suit because it's gonna get messy. Also you're gonna need one of my boomers." Tina then gave Murphy a rather large bomb with the codes to activate it on the side. "Once that thing starts counting down you better huff it."

"Ok, thank you, I guess" said Murphy. As he studied the bomb, he could tell that the payload was large enough to leave a huge crater in the ground. He then began to wonder if this was more than some game and that this job would be much more than he bargained for.

"No problem man" said Tina "Just to let you know, Sir Reginald has gotten a lot bigger since the last time we met so be careful. And don't worry about the varkids near the hive, they won't attack you. They would if you smelled like human flesh but yous my friend smell like burnt metal and motor oil so you should be safe for the most part."

Murphy carefully placed his disguise and the bomb Tina gave him inside his duffle bag and walked toward the hive where Sir Reginald resided.


	11. Chapter 10-Gates of Heaven

Murphy and A.N.N made it to the Hive near the bandit camp like Tina instructed them to. The varkids left Murphy alone due to the fact he did not smell like human flesh, one of the many advantages of having a cybernetic body and an alien combat suit. Murphy nervously pulled the bomb out of his duffle bag, placed it in the center of the hive and typed in the activation code.

"Bomb's primed home boy" said Tina through her Echo to Murphy's communicator "You got 5 minutes before you end up like a stain on the floor"

"Murphy, why are your hands shaking?" asked A.N.N, worried for her friend.

"It's nothing, just my ridiculous fear of giant bugs" said Murphy with shakiness in his voice. Since he was 5, Murphy had an uncontrolled fear of giant bugs ever since his father showed him a horror movie with giant flesh eating insects. A.N.N began laughing uncontrollably at Murphy.

"Oh my god, you're afraid of bugs?" laughed A.N.N "You are a walking death machine and a few tiny insects make you uncomfortable? Do you want hug to make you feel better."

"Hey, that's not funny!" yelled Murphy. His yelling attracted a varkid the size of a small building with a top hat on his head. The Insect began to fly near Murphy and rammed him into a rock.

"Oh snap son, that's Sir Reginald! Get your metal ass out of there quick!" yelled Tina, recognizing the rather large varkid. Murphy pulled out his shotgun and fired buck shots at the insect but the pellets bounced off his head and he shrugged it off as if it were nothing.

"Oh shit!" yelled Murphy. Sir Reginald began to smash its rock solid head against Murphy's chest, trying to crack his armor. Murphy digistructed his Riot Shield over his right arm and smashed it through Reginald's armored skull, dazing the varkid for a couple of seconds.

"Yo Murphy, the bomb is about to go boom!" said Tina from her echo "Get out of there now son!" Murphy knew he wouldn't make it out of there in time so he grabbed the bomb and shoved it down Sir Reginald's throat.

Murphy ran for cover near one of the rocks near the Hive. Reginald blew up into a multiple bloody pieces and a tidal wave of green blood flew toward Murphy's general direction, splashing all over Murphy's armor. The varkids flew away from the hive after Reginald's death.

"Ah, come on" yelled Murphy, greatly annoyed at the fact he was covered in Sir Reginald's blood. He started to freak out uncontrollably due to his fear of bugs.

"Murphy, calm down" said A.N.N "It's going to be ok."

"Don't treat me like an insecure child A.N.N. It's just that I hate being covered in bug juice."

"Are you going to be alright, Murphy?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I just need a bucket of water and some car wax and I'll be as good as new." Murphy began to walk toward the cave. When he had arrived, Tina gave a disgusted look toward Murphy due to the fact he was covered in Reginald's blood.

"Eww, you're covered in nasties!" said Tina "Well, you got the job done so the bunk is yours, but please clean Sir Reginald off of you first."

"That was my plan Tina" said Murphy, laughing a bit at his situation "get me a bucket of water, a sponge, and some car wax if you have any."

"No problem boy, I got all that next to my boomers in the back" Tina then walked back to her workshop and acquired the items Murphy had requested and skipped back to him, handing him the supplies. "Here you go homeboy, thanks for helping me with all that buttcrap. If you need anything else just let me knows, in the meantime I'm gonna catch some Z's." Tina ran back to her workshop and jumped on the top bunk while Murphy began to use the sponge and water to clean the blood off of his armor and polished his armor with the car wax.

Five hours later, night had finally fallen on Pandora, Tina was already fast asleep and Murphy was almost finished cleaning his armor. He dumped the bucket of water over his helmet and cleaned off the remaining blood from his armor.

"A.N.N, the one luxury I miss in the whole world is a good old fashioned shower" said Murphy. Due to his cybernetic augmentation and the suit being grafted to his skin, Murphy could no longer enjoy the simple luxuries, like a shower.

"What makes you say that Murph?" said A.N.N.

"I just miss the warm water splashing over my face, plus it's more convenient than washing myself like a damn car. I just want to feel human again just one last time and not feel like a machine, you know?"

"Yeah Murphy, I understand" both A.N.N and Murphy started looking at Tina after she let out a huge snore which averted their attention for a few seconds. "How could a child survive in a planet like this?"

"You do whatever it takes to survive A.N.N. I did it when I was her age." Although it was not as hostile as Pandora, Eden-5 was a brutal place to grow up in as a child, crime and violence ruled the planet with an iron fist. After Ann's death, Murphy learned the ways of the streets and trained himself in marksmanship in order to combat the criminal elements of his home world.

"Speaking of age, it's going to be your birthday in a couple of days" said A.N.N who wanted to change the subject "I still find it hard to believe that you're going to be 38 years old."

"Yeah, time sure does fly, doesn't it?" said Murphy, reminiscing the years.

"What do you want for your birthday, I might be able to find it on an Echo net auction site."

"Maybe you can by me a music player so I can install into my helmet" joked Murphy.

"You're still going on about that?" laughed A.N.N.

"Yeah, I've always wanted to play music for those long journeys but I never had anything to play it with. That would fix that problem easily."

"I'll see what I can find, Murphy" said A.N.N. Murphy began to stretch his metallic arms and began to walk toward the bottom bunk. He laid on the bed, hoping that he would finally reach Sanctuary.

"It's been a long day A.N.N, I need to get some sleep" said Murphy "good night, wake me when it's morning."

"Sweet dreams hero" said A.N.N as she entered standby mode. Murphy closed his eyes and eagerly waited for the morning.

It was morning on Pandora, Murphy and A.N.N had awoken to find that Tina was gone and in her place, a note was left on the top bunk to let them know where she was.

"Yo hommies, just went out to get some boomers out in the Express, good luck with that job of yours" said Murphy, reading the letter.

"Hope that kid stays safe" said A.N.N.

"She has survived this long on her own A.N.N, she'll be fine" said Murphy "now let's get a move on." Murphy put his disguise back, picked up his bag on and began to walk to the Fast Travel Station. After a few minutes of walking he had reached the station. Murphy interacted with the interface and a message began to play through the speakers.

"Location (Sanctuary) found, beginning teleportation sequence. Have a nice day" said the automated voice.

"Guess today is a good day for us after all" said A.N.N.

"Let' hope so" said Murphy while smiling under his helmet. The station then digistructed Murphy's body and sent him to Sanctuary.

Meanwhile in the city of Sanctuary, everyone was going about their business as usual and Scooter was fixing the damage to the Fast Travel in the center building in town. The damage to the station was caused by Crazy Earl during one of his fits.

"Dammit Earl, how many times do I have to tell you, this damn thing ain't made of honey" said Scooter, talking to himself. Scooter began screwing a loose bolt and suddenly, lightning began to flying out of the device's antenna. "Holy hell, I must have screwed up something big." Soon after, Murphy was launched from the station toward Scooter, ramming them both through a wall.

"Hot damn that hurts" said Scooter, holding his ribs "hey buddy, you alright there?"

"Yeah I'm fine" said Murphy, a bit dazed after getting launched from the malfunctioning device "what the hell happened?"

"Well the station's been broke as hell ever since Earl tried to eat it so I'm guessing that the digistruct device in the station might still be malfunctioning, causing you to get launched like a rocket and possibly breaking three of my ribs but it's nothing Zed can't patch up."

"Where am I anyway?"

"You're in Sanctuary man, where do you think you is." When Murphy heard those words out of Scooter's mouth, he almost jumped for joy but his headache from his unplanned flight got in the way of that.

"Man I got a headache, who knew ramming into a wall head first could be such a pain" Murphy began to rub his helmet in an attempt to alleviate the pain and accidently knocked his hat off. Scooter saw Murphy's metallic helmet and began to freak out.

"Holy skag sucks, yous a Hyperion robot" screamed Scooter, he ran outside and began screaming for help. "Hey Lily, Mordecai, vault hunters, get over here now! We got a Hyperion jackass over here trying to kill us!" Soon a group of Crimson Raider guards began to circle the area, prepared to kill Murphy.

"Oh god, not again" groaned Murphy as he slammed his head on the floor in disbelief over the fact that he was mistaken for Hyperion personnel for a second time.

"Freeze you Hyperion bastard" yelled a Crimson Raider "walk outside of the building with your weapons on the ground and your hands in the air." Not wanting to cause any trouble, Murphy complied with the man's orders and walked out of the building with his hands up and weapons on the ground.

"This day just keeps getting better and better" whispered Murphy. The men prepared their weapons to open fire on Murphy "Whoa there gentlemen, let's talk this out, alright" yelled Murphy "I'm not a Hyperion robot and I don't want to cause any trouble here." The soldiers did not listen and continued to point their weapons at Murphy with the intention of killing him.

"This doesn't seem to be working, Murphy" whispered A.N.N, trying to keep her presence a secret "try showing them Sal's letter and they may back off.

"Listen, I don't want to hurt anyone" said Murphy "I'm just came to your city to look for a missing person. With your permission, allow me to pull out a letter of introduction to show you that I am telling the truth and that I am not a t-t-t-t-t-t" before Murphy could even get the last word of his sentence out, he was struck with a large volt of lightning from behind.

Murphy suffered a severe systems overload, shutting down all his cybernetics and his motor functions. A.N.N suffered a sensory overload, forcing her to go into standby mode to prevent any more damage. Murphy fell on his back with a thud as he began to slip into unconsciousness. The Raiders carried Murphy to the Crimson Raider HQ to be interrogated by the Vault Hunters.


	12. Chapter 11-Rude Awakening

A few hours after the incident in the town square, Murphy was in an unconscious state and chained to a chair inside the Crimson Raider HQ's interrogation room. The room was rather empty with a dim lamp next to Murphy's right, the only other thing that was in the room besides Murphy was his disguise and his duffle bag locked in a secure chest on his left. Suddenly, a baby started to cry downstairs, awakening the Enforcer whose cybernetic systems began to slowly reactivate again.

"Man, what the hell happened?" said Murphy, still dazed and confused after his unexpected electrocution. He then averted his attention toward A.N.N, who also suffered damage from the blast "A.N.N, are you alright?"

A.N.N began to exit standby mode and answered her old friend's question "I'm alright Murphy, just a bit groggy is all. This must be what a hangover feels like."

"No kidding, what hit us?"

"I don't know. Before I could warn you, I sensed a very large electrical disturbance right behind us. It must have been what incapacitated us."

Murphy tried to move but he couldn't stand up due to being tied down to the chair with chains around his arms and chest. "Either I'm having a really bad dream or I've been captured again" said Murphy, annoyed at the fact he was yet again captured for interrogation.

"It's not a bad dream hero, this is real" said A.N.N. "Can you get out?"

"It's just some chains and a chair" said Murphy "as soon as I get feeling back in my arms and legs, I'll break us out of this."

Murphy began to move his arms so he could break the chains but suddenly, the door to the room was opened and three women walked in. One of them had short fiery red hair, pale skin, had strange alien tattoos that ran down the left side of her arm and was dressed like she came straight out of a punk rock music video. The other woman had long braided hair that reached down to her hips. Her hair was a rather unusual color, It was almost black at the roots, lightening to a bright green-aqua color at the tips. She too had similar tattoos like the red haired woman on her left arm. The last one was unlike the others, the girl looked much younger than the other two. She had a crudely made robotic left arm and she had slightly curly orange hair that went just past her shoulders. For some strange reason, the orange haired girl reminded Murphy of someone he knew but he couldn't tell who she was.

Murphy stopped himself from breaking the chains to avoid any more conflict and A.N.N became silent to hide her presence. The red haired woman pulled out Murphy's signature Dahl Hornet from the secure chest and pointed it at his head. This act greatly annoyed the Enforcer.

"I can't believe this" grumbled Murphy "chained to a chair with someone pointing MY own pistol at me!"

"You better start believing it because from where I'm standing, you're in world of trouble" said the red haired woman "did you honestly think you could just walk into our city with that ridiculous cowboy get-up and no one would notice you, Hyperion scumbag."

"Clearly there's been a huge misunderstanding here" said Murphy, trying to prove he wasn't an enemy to them. "I'm not a Hyperion goon."

"Then explain, what are you exactly?" asked the red haired woman.

"I'm a cop from Eden-5. I was asked by a…"

Before Murphy could finish his sentence, the orange haired girl angrily began to glare at him and yelled "you're one of those fascist assholes from my home world." She then pulled out her Vladof pistol from her holster and prepared to open fire on Murphy.

"Hey, ease off on the trigger now" said Murphy "I'm not here to hurt anyone."

"You think I'm honestly gonna believe that crap. I know the real reason you're here. Marcie's dad paid you to come to Pandora and kill me, am I right?" At that moment, Murphy realized that the orange haired girl was none other than the person he was looking for ever since he landed on Pandora.

"Hold on a second, you're Gaige?" yelled Murphy, overjoyed that he had finally found her "I've finally found you, kid. You're parents asked me to look for you and take you home safely."

"You expect me to believe my mom and dad would ask a cop working for the most corrupt police force in the entire galaxy to look for me?"

"I know it sounds insane, but you've been off world for two years. A lot of things have changed on Eden-5 after you left." Gaige did not believe in Murphy's story and prepared to open fire. The woman with the braided hair stopped Gaige from killing Murphy.

"Hold on a second" said the braided haired woman "he's telling the truth, I know it."

"What do you mean he's telling the truth? He's a gun for hire, he's almost as bad as Hyperion" said Gaige. While growing up in Eden-5, Gaige knew of how the police force sold out to Holloway and became his personal army which he used to control the planet. This however changed after Holloway was killed by Murphy and the police force reformed to serve the people of the planet.

"If Montayva says he's telling the truth, he's telling the truth" said the red haired woman "Now lower you're pistol, Gaige." Gaige followed the woman's orders lowered her weapon.

"I still think we should shoot him" said Gaige who started to pout for a bit.

"Before I decide to unchain you, I want to see your face, just to be sure you aren't a Hyperion soldier." said the red haired woman. She began to slowly place her hands on the lower chin of Murphy's helmet in an attempt to remove it. Murphy cocked his head back to prevent her from doing so.

"You don't want to do that ma'am" warned Murphy "my suit has a safety precaution installed in it. If you try to remove my helmet while it's active, I could fry you with a large volt of electricity and I don't want you to get killed." The woman heeded Murphy's warning and backed off.

"Ok how about this, answer my questions and I might consider letting you go, deal" said the red haired woman.

"Deal" said Murphy.

"How did you figure out Gaige was in Sanctuary?"

"Salvador told me where to find her" said Murphy "during my search for the young lady over here, I visited the town of Ovejas to see if any of the locals knew where I could find her. After I helped Sal with a small scuffle with a couple of bandits that attacked the town, I asked him if he knew where she was and he told me she was in Sanctuary." The women were shocked to learn that Murphy knew Salvador and more importantly knew where he was.

"Salvador is in Ovejas, taking care of his grandmother" said Montayva "but your story is still a bit hard to believe. Why didn't he Echo us ahead of time to let us know you were coming?"

"His Echo couldn't work, so he gave me a letter of introduction to prove I was a friend" said Murphy "The letter is in my duffle bag on the side pocket on the right. Open it up and you'll see I'm telling you the truth." The red haired woman walked toward the chest which contained Murphy's duffle bag and looked in the side pocket to see if he was telling the truth. She found the letter and began to read it.

"This is definitely Salvador's letter" said the woman "only he could have handwriting this bad, that and all the Spanish words on it. Here's my next question, killer. What is with the suit? Judging by the advanced hardware and the Eridian markings on your chest, I can tell that's not standard issue for a cop."

"Holloway found it and grafted it to my skin" said Murphy with a dark toned voice "before he came to Eden-5, he found this suit in an Eridian tomb somewhere in the deep reaches of the galaxy and modified it in an attempt to create the perfect soldier who would obey him without question. After he gained control of my home world and corrupted the police, I tried to stop him but ultimately failed. He had me transferred to the cybernetics division where he had his lab monkeys perform cybernetic surgery on me, had my memory wiped, and gave me this suit. I was his slave for five years until my memories came back."

"You're suit is connected with the Eridians?" asked Montayva.

"Yes it is" said Murphy

"Tannis is gonna freak out when she hears about this" said the red haired woman. Gaige interrupted the red haired woman to make a snide comment about Holloway.

"That's totally Marcie's dad, he would do something that cruel for personal gain. I'm sorry that happened to you"

"Don't be" said Murphy "it wasn't your fault."

"What ever happened to that bourgeois jerk bag?" said Gaige.

"I killed him, like I promised I would" said Murphy "I reformed the police after that and made Eden-5 a decent place to live in again." Gaige had a surprised look on her face, she couldn't believe that her home world could have changed so much in two years and the fact that Holloway was dead.

"That's one hell of a story there, killer" said the woman "I only have one more question, what do you know about Hyperion activity on Pandora?"

"I know they are looking for a Vault containing a large cache of powerful Eridian weapons" said Murphy "And I know that Hyperion is looking for the Vault Key and a Siren to help them open it, both of which are located here in Sanctuary, am I right?"

"How did you know that?" asked the woman, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

"I know because of the data I stole from them" said Murphy "bastards captured me in the desert during my trip here. Their leader, Johnson, wanted me captured alive because my suit is somehow connected with the Vault and the Eridian race. He wanted it so he could find the location of the Champion's Vault and use the weapons to become a god."

"How did you learn all of this?"

"He told me. He made me an offer to help him find it but I refused. I escaped afterwards and hacked their computers to learn of their plans. The files are encrypted but I know they are planning on attacking Sanctuary to get what they want. I have the files with me as we speak. I'll give them to you and decrypt them on one condition."

"And that is?"

"You allow me to join the Raiders and stop Hyperion." The woman placed her hand on her forehead, wondering what she should do next. She then grabbed the key from her pocket and unlocked Murphy's chains. Murphy stood up from the chair and stretched his arms and legs.

"You got yourself a deal" said the woman. She then handed Murphy his gear back as a sign of trust. "The name's Lilith by the way. The woman with the tattoos like mine is called Montayva and you already know Gaige. What do we call you?"

"Jason Murphy" said the Enforcer "but just call me Murphy for short."

"Good to meet you Murphy" said Lilith. Both she and Murphy shook hands, solidifying their agreement "welcome to the Crimson Raiders. The rest of the crew are downstairs waiting for us. We can meet with them when you're ready."

"Let's meet them now" said Murphy, ready to help out the Vault Hunters "but before we head out, what's with the weird tattoos?"

"Since your part of the team you should probably know Monty and I are Sirens" said Lilith "There are others just like us downstairs, we'll go into the details later." Murphy was stunned, he couldn't believe that the two women were Sirens. Throughout the galaxy, everyone knew the legend of the Sirens. They were considered powerful deities with amazing abilities and powers but unknown to most people, the Sirens were the children of the Mother of Creation, a powerful being who created the universe and gave birth to all life that exists.

"Now I've seen everything" joked Murphy "who would have thought all those crazy legends were actually true." Murphy grabbed the side of his neck as he still felt a bit sore.

"Are you okay?" asked Montayva.

"Yeah I'm fine. Just feeling the effects of that electric blast."

"Do you need medical attention? Zed could patch you up."

"I wouldn't trust that crazy kook with administrating a flu shot, let alone examine someone after taking an electric blast from behind" said Lilith, discrediting Zed's medical skills. Although he was the town's doctor, Zed was not considered a real doctor due to losing his medical license because of medical malpractice.

"I'll be fine in a couple of minutes" said Murphy, reassuring the women he would be ready for action. "Who zapped me anyway?"

"That was Erick" said Gaige "I'm sorry he zapped you. He's a bit quick on the trigger. After Scooter started screaming, he thought everyone was in danger and couldn't risk anyone else getting hurt."

"That's understandable" said Murphy "when I meet him, remind me to knock that trigger happy jackass through a wall."

"He's my boyfriend" said Gaige as she angrily glared at the Enforcer for his remark.

"That complicates things" said Murphy. Both Lilith and Montayva began laughing, seeing the humor in the rather awkward situation. "I'll try not to knock his ass out. By the way, what kind of Thunderball Fist revolver was he using?" wondered Murphy "damn thing must have been potent to knock me out cold so easily."

"It's a long story. We'll explain later" said Lilith "come on killer, let's introduce you to the other Vault Hunters." The group then began to walk outside of the room to begin planning their next move against Johnson and Hyperion.


	13. Chapter 12-Meeting the Team

Murphy and the three women walked down the stairs to meet the other Vault Hunters in the first floor lobby of the HQ. Montayva could tell something was on Murphy's mind and paused for a minute to see what was bothering the Enforcer.

"Murphy, is there something on your mind?" wondered Montayva

"Actually yeah, there is something that's been bothering me" said Murphy, looking at the Siren. "How did you know I was telling the truth? I'm a complete stranger yet you placed complete faith in me. Why?"

"When you told us your story, I didn't sense any malevolence inside of you. That's how I knew you were being honest."

"Are you like a mind reader or something?" asked Murphy, not fully understanding Montayva's statement.

"Not exactly, my Siren powers allow me to sense other people's emotions and feelings. It makes for a useful lie detector" Montayva said proudly.

"Then I guess I owe you one, Monty" said Murphy.

"What for?"

"For saving my sorry hide. If you hadn't stopped Gaige from putting a bullet through my skull, I'd probably be dead by now."

"Sorry about that Murphy" Gaige said, scratching her head in embarrassment over her rash decision making.

Montayva smiled, warmly accepting Murphy's appreciation. Her smile slowly turned into a frown however as she sensed another emotion inside of Murphy, the same one that ruined her father's life after the death of Montayva's mother, guilt. Montayva wanted to ask Murphy about it but stopped herself from doing so as she did not want to invade further into Murphy's privacy.

"What's with the look?" asked Murphy as he noticed Montayva's sad expression.

"It's nothing, don't worry about it" Montayva said, obviously trying to avoid further conversation.

"Come on, the others are waiting for us" urged Lilith with patience slowly growing thin. On her behest, the others continued to walk down the stairs. Suddenly, the smell of ozone seeped through the air filters in Murphy's helmet and filled his nostrils.

"Why does it smell like ozone in here? Was there a lighting storm outside while I was unconscious?" asked Murphy.

"Don't worry Murphy, you'll figure it out soon" Gaige said with a sly smile on her face.

The group had finally reached the lobby after their short conversation. The room was filled with a large batch of unique characters. There were two men sitting near a table playing poker, one was a blonde haired man wearing a standard issue Dahl Military outfit while the other was wearing a black, full body sneaking suit that hid all noticeable human features, including his face. The man with the suit had only four digits on each hand and had a big red zero on the left side of his chest.

A rather skinny man sat on a chair, cleaning parts of an old sniper rifle while drinking a bottle of soda. He wore a red scarf and bandana, wore goggles over his eyes, had a long pointed beard on his chin and had long black dreadlocks flowing from his scalp. A large bird was perched on his shoulder, looking onward as his master reassembled the sniper rifle.

Near the room behind the sniper, there was a woman with short black hair wearing a red lab coat. She was surrounded with beakers, chemicals, bars of Eridium, Eridian artifacts and texts. It appeared that she was viciously writing down lab notes while examining what appeared to be a sample of human blood.

Two other women were sitting on the couch, reading books to pass the time. One of the women had short blue hair and wore a yellow and black shirt, blue pants and black combat boots. The right arm was completely covered by a long black sleeve and a black glove while the left arm was completely exposed, revealing the alien tattoos on it. The other woman was much younger, around the age of 18. Her hair was snow white and reached just past her knees. It was pulled back, revealing a shy and innocent face. She too had the alien tattoos on her left arm. The pair of women appeared to be Sirens like Lilith and Montayva as far as Murphy could tell.

The last person in the room was a dark haired young man unpacking clothes and munitions from the various bags strewn across the room. He wore a dark blue shirt, jeans, black boots, and wore a leather belt with a silver buckle on it. He had a robotic left arm similar to Gaige's. His right arm had what appeared to be burn scars with the color of his skin. The design didn't flow like the sirens' marks, but was jagged and looked almost like lightning. He was close to Murphy's height only being an inch shorter than the Enforcer.

The group soon averted their attention from their current activities toward the three women and Murphy. They were about to draw their weapons but Lilith interjected "Hold on everyone! Put your guns back into your holsters. He's a friend." The group obeyed the red haired siren's orders and lowered their weapons. "Now that I have your attention, I would like to introduce you to the newest member of the Crimson Raiders. His names Jason Murphy but he likes to be called Murphy for short."

"Good to meet you all. I hope I can be of service to your cause" said Murphy, performing a saluting motion toward the group.

The military man dropped his cards on the table, walked up to the Enforcer and shook his hands. "Good to meet you, the name's Axton."

"Welcome to team, Murphy. I'm Mordecai" said the Sniper "And this is my bird, Junior. He's a bit twitchy around new people but he'll get used to you." Junior squawked for a few seconds and flew off Mordecai's shoulder, perching himself on top of Murphy's metallic shoulder. "Guess he likes you already. He doesn't usually warm up to new people so quickly, well except for Montayva when she first arrived."

Murphy began scratching his metal finger right under Junior's neck "Nice to meet you too, Junior." Mordecai whistled to Junior and he flew back to his master, perching himself on Mordecai's outstretched forearm.

"Greetings new ally/It's an honor to meet you/I am called Zero" said the man in the sneaking suit, bowing to Murphy. Murphy returned Zero's courtesy by bowing back at him.

"Did that dude just speak in haiku?" asked Murphy.

"Trust me, he's a character that one" said the blue haired woman "Call me Maya. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Murphy."

"Hi Murphy, my name is Arycka. Everyone just calls me Ari" the white haired girl said in a quiet tone. The young man in the blue shirt stopped what he was doing and walked up to Murphy to shake his hand.

"Well since everyone else has introduced themselves I guess it's my turn. My name's Erick, sorry about frying you earlier Murph" Said the young man. Murphy hesitated to shake Erick's hand and just stood there, glaring at him.

"First off, the name is Murphy, not Murph. Second, you're the kid that nearly fried my ass earlier today?" asked Murphy in disbelief.

"Yeah, that was me. I know it's pretty hard to believe but after I show you how I did it, you'll understand."

"Yeah, I would like to know what kind of Thunderball Fist you're rocking with, kid. Because it takes one hell of an electric shock to put me down so easily, trust me." Murphy began to rub his hand on the side of his neck again, still feeling the effects of the blast.

"Who said I was using a weapon?"

"Whoa, hold on! Run that by me again, you're telling me you used something else?"

"That's right, Murph."

"Then what did you do, call lightning down from the sky?" Erick slowly raised his right hand in front of Murphy. The burn scars on his arm started to slowly glow a bluish color and lightning surged through his fingertips. Murphy remained silent for a few seconds, amazed at the young man's abilities. "Ok, what the hell was that?" asked the Enforcer in disbelief.

"That is power of the Brother Guardian, Murph" Erick said proudly. "I gotta give you credit Murph, you're one of the few people in this world to survive one of my attacks and get back up without ending up a French fry."

"I take it that you don't know much about Siren lore, do you Murphy" said Maya, pointing out the obvious.

"Hell, I've been around you Sirens for years and I've given up trying to understand you. I just go with the flow now" Axton joked.

"We'll explain it to you later, killer" said Lilith, patting Murphy on his shoulder.

"So are you gonna leave me hanging or are you gonna shake hand, Murph?" asked Erick. Murphy swallowed his pride and shook Erick's hand. Murphy's grip slowly turned from a firm squeeze into a bone crushing death grip. "Ow!" Murphy quickly let's go of Erick's hand and Erick recoiled it.

"Sorry about that Erick, sometimes I forget my own strength" Murphy said with a sly tone of voice. Erick and Murphy stared down each other for a couple of seconds, ready to start a fight until Ari and Gaige got between the two in order to keep some semblance of peace.

"Settle down, Erick! We don't need you and Murphy wrecking place. We just fixed the damages done to the HQ from the last attack, remember?" Gaige said while pressing her hands on Erick's chest to keep him back.

"Come on big brother, we have more important things to worry about than selfish pride" said Ari, reminding Erick of their current war with Johnson and Hyperion.

"Hey, I'm not the one who started it!" yelled Erick "don't make me the bad guy in this."

"We're not but we don't want you to start a fight. Murphy, please apologize to Erick" said Gaige.

"Okay kid, I'm sorry about that. I'm just still a bit peeved from getting blasted, that's all" said Murphy, complying with Gaige's request. Erick stood down and walked back with Gaige to unpack the rest of the bags while Ari sat back down on the couch with Maya.

"This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship, I can tell" Mordecai joked while downing another bottle of soda. Murphy averted his attention from the young teen toward the woman in the lab, still writing down notes.

"Isn't she going to introduce herself?" asked Murphy.

"That's Patricia Tannis; she never talks to anyone unless it involves her research or her rather odd request. We've gotten used to it" said Maya "Just make sure she doesn't get too close to you or she might try to experiment on you. She's done it to me a couple of times already."

"What kind of experiments?"

"Pulling out strands of my hair and extracting samples of my blood when no one's looking. She usually uses it for study and other strange things."

"Thanks for the warning, Maya. I'll try to keep an eye on Tannis just in case she tries to pull something. I'd rather not lose blood" said Murphy, appreciating the much needed info on Tannis' strange tendencies.

"Please stop mentioning blood you two" said Ari, covering her ears at the very mention of the word.

"Sorry about that kiddo, I forgot you had hemophobia" said Maya.

"Not exactly the best trait to have on Pandora, Ari" said Murphy, worrying for the girls safety.

"You're not the first person to tell me that, Murphy" Ari said.

"Hey Murphy, I think you're forgetting someone" said A.N.N through the speakers in Murphy's helmet. Everyone was startled for several seconds as they heard her voice from out of nowhere. The group looked around the lobby to find the AI but to no avail.

"Where did that come from?" asked Montayva.

"Oh shit, I almost forgot to introduce her to you" Murphy said, face palming himself. The Enforcer nervously pulled out the chip from his helmet, revealing the holographic figure of his partner as she appeared to the Vault Hunters.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all, I am the Advanced Neural Network but you can call me A.N.N" said the AI cheerfully to her new friends. The Vault Hunters were in awe at the sight of A.N.N.

"Wow, an advanced AI. I thought Athena was state of the art, the technology used to create you is decades ahead of anything I've seen" said Erick.

"Thank you for the complement Erick. How's your hand?"

"It hurts like hell but nothing's broken" Erick said rubbing his hand.

"Sorry, Murphy tends to be pretty quick tempered."

"He's not the only one" said Ari, staring at her older brother.

"Are there any more Vault Hunters around or is it just everyone down here in the lobby" asked Murphy, placing A.N.N back inside his helmet.

"There are more of us around but they're not in Sanctuary" said Montayva "Brick's on official slab business in Thousand Cuts and you already know Salvador is in Ovejas taking care of his grandmother. The others are off world gathering intel on the other Vaults so you may not get the chance to meet them."

"And right now we're low on manpower" said Mordecai "Any help you can give us is appreciated.

"I'll do my best to help out in any way I can. But first, let's talk more about Siren history and why Johnson is so obsessed with capturing one of you" said Murphy, curious to see how their history is connected with the Eridians, The Champion's Vault and his Nanite Suit.

"Alright, tell Murphy and A.N.N everything about Siren Lore Erick" said Lilith.

"Ok then, you might want to take seat Murph. It's going to be a long story" said Erick. Murphy sat on the chair next to Axton, eager to know more about the Sirens and the current battle with Hyperion.


	14. Chapter 13-Plans of Attack

Erick cleared his throat, preparing to tell Murphy and his AI partner the truth of about the Sirens and the Vaults. "In the beginning there was The Mother. She created this planet, the solar system, and all the stars and planets in this galaxy. She created seven children: six Siren daughters and their brother guardian. Then came the now extinct race called Eridians who discovered Eridium and used it as a power source. When The Brother learned that he could increase his own power with Eridium he became power hungry and corrupted, slaying anyone who stood between him and more power. The Mother disowned her corrupted son and created another to destroy him. In a war that drove the Eridian race to extinction and destroyed many planets, The Brother locked his corrupted sibling in a vault. The Mother, heartbroken at the desolation and fearful that her youngest son would also become corrupted, forced The Brother's power to become dormant. His power could only awaken on the absorption of Eridium. For her daughters, she also made them mortal; the spirit at the death of the first vessel would then attach to a newborn and lie dormant until the child reaches adolescence."

Murphy and A.N.N were silent; it was hard for the Enforcer and his AI companion to digest all the new information Erick had told. "I thought I was freak of nature, this is a whole new level of weird" said Murphy, still trying to understand everything Erick had told him.

"When we first heard Erick's story, it was a bit overwhelming but it eventually made sense when we thought about it" said Montayva. She was ready to go into more detail about the Siren's connection with Eridians, the Vaults, and the Brother Guardian until a baby's crying was heard upstairs. "I'm sorry, you'll have to excuse me for a minute" Montayva whizzed past Gaige who was standing next to her and rushed up the stairs before Murphy could ask her his question. He then averted his attention to Lilith to ask her the question.

"By any chance, was that her baby crying upstairs?" asked the Enforcer.

"That's right, Montayva is the mother of a beautiful baby girl" said Lilith.

"Wow, that's good for her. Who's the lucky man?" asked A.N.N

"That would be me" said Mordecai, raising his hand "Pretty crazy, huh? I never thought I'd be a father, let alone have a daughter with someone like Montayva."

"Congrats man" said Murphy. "What's her name?"

"With all the chaos Montayva and I have been through since her birth, we haven't had the time to come up with a good one for her. Hopefully after Johnson's been deep sixed, we'll come up with one."

At that moment, Murphy and A.N.N remembered something Tina told them during their stay in Tundra Express. It was how Tina had to replace the booze she kept in the cooler with sodas because her last pair of guest had a baby together and the dad wanted to sober up for the baby's sake. They realized she was referring to Mordecai and Montayva.

"I suggested little ass kicker but they shot me down" said Axton.

"And for good reason, that's a horrible name to give a child" Maya scolded Axton for even coming up with the name.

"Come on, I think it's an awesome name. Hell, Brick and Salvador would agree with me if they were here."

"My god, you'll never grow up" Maya pinched the bridge of her nose as she started to get a headache from Axton's childish behavior. Zero joined her as a sad face emoticon projected over his helmet's facemask.

"You got to admit the name fits considering she's no ordinary baby girl either, she's a Siren for god sake" said Axton "she'd probably blow this whole place down with just her crying." Maya elbowed the loud mouthed commando in the ribs to keep him in line. If she hadn't, Axton would have continued to derail the conversation further with his banter.

"Let's get back on topic, shall we?" said A.N.N, reminding the Vault Hunters of the reason Murphy wanted to know more about the Sirens.

"I think that would be best" said Murphy "what can you tell me about the Vaults, Erick."

"Like the Corrupted, the monsters he created were locked away in the Vaults for all eternity with the Vault Key being the only device that can free them."

"What happened to the Eridians after the war, Erick?" asked A.N.N

"Sorry, I'm a bit sketchy on the details myself. All I know is that they died out after the war."

"Can you tell me more about their Champion" Murphy asked. Erick slowly began to wonder why Murphy was so interested in the Eridians and how he knew about the Champion.

"How did you know about the Eridian Champion, Murph? I didn't even mention him." asked Erick. Erick knew about the Champion due to his memories of the conflict with the Corrupted Brother. Long ago, The Eridian's mightiest Champion aided the Siren sisters and the Brother in defeating and sealing away the Corrupted Brother and his monstrosities such as the Warrior and the Destroyer.

"Because my Nanite Suit used to belong to the Champion, it's the key to finding his lost arsenal. Something Johnson wants very badly." The group paused for several seconds after hearing Murphy's connection to the Eridians and hearing the new information of Johnson's plans for taking over the galaxy. Tannis jumped out of her seat and rushed toward Murphy, almost running into Zero.

"Did you just say you are wearing a suit of armor worn by the Champion himself, mouth breather?" yelled Tannis, spitting on Murphy with every word she spoke. Murphy calmly wiped the spit from his visor and nodded his head, answering Tannis's question.

"This is truly a glorious day indeed" Tannis began to read the Eridian inscriptions on Murphy's chest "I am the guardian of the vaults and champion of my people, fighting for another sunrise."

"Hey Erick, that sounds a lot like the haiku you recited back in Bloodshot Ramparts" said Axton, reminiscing about the adventure the two had together.

"Yeah, it does actually" said Erick, agreeing with the Commando. Montayva ran back down the stairs, sat on Mordecai's lap and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Junior flew off Mordecai's shoulder and perched himself on the poker table to give the two their space.

"Hey, how is our little girl holding up?" wondered Mordecai.

"She's fine; I just had to rock her back to sleep. She can be a real handful. Did I miss anything important?"

"Turns out Murphy's armor is somehow connected to the Sirens. Guess you were right about him, Montayva" said Lilith.

"I knew he was connected to us somehow. I felt something ancient yet familiar inside Murphy when we brought him to the HQ" said Montayva, with the other Sirens and Erick agreeing with her. For some strange reason, the Sirens and Erick knew there was more to the Enforcer than meets the eye. When they brought Murphy in, it was as if they had a connection with his suit but they couldn't put their finger on it until now.

After examining the armor further, Tannis jumped for joy "I don't believe it, it is the Champion's armor! How could a Neanderthal like yourself find such a powerful device, let alone retro fit it for human use?" Tannis urged on wanting to know more about the suit. She grabbed Murphy by the shoulders and started to shake him around trying to get more info from him. Lilith pulled Tannis off of Murphy to give the Enforcer his space. Tannis flailed for a bit but regained her composure as she started to calm down.

"Sorry, she tends to act like that when she discovers something new about the Eridians. It's like her obsession" said Lilith.

"At least she didn't try and extract your blood" said A.N.N, trying to find the humor in the situation.

"A.N.N!" yelled Ari

"Sorry sweetie, it just slipped my mind. Can you tell us more about the Champion, Tannis?"

"From my research, I have discovered that this so-called Mother of creation charged the Champion with guarding the Vault Key and the Vaults of Pandora during the Eridian's extinction period. Only he could defend the Vaults as he harbored the most powerful arsenal in the universe. The weapons alone could destroy the surface of an entire planet. The Champion attempted to aid his fellow brothers in rebuilding their once great society and return to an era of peace and prosperity. The prospect was lost however as the old warlords that once served the Corrupted started another war with the Champion and his followers in an attempt to release their fallen master from his imprisonment. The event was called the End War."

"And in the end, The Champion was the only survivor, wasn't he?" asked Murphy, knowing what had happened to him thanks to Johnson telling him the story.

"Correct. After the war, the Champion scattered the pieces of the key to the four corners of Pandora, hid his cache of weapons deep inside one of Pandora's lost Vaults and stored the data to its location deep within the confines of his suit's data banks. He disappeared into space afterwards."

"It makes sense. After our Mother made us mortal, she needed someone to watch over the key for her and the Champion fits that bill perfectly" said Erick.

"Obviously, Now tell me where you found the suit!" yelled Tannis.

"He didn't find it Tannis, Murphy was forced to wear it after Marcie's dad experimented on him" Gaige said solemnly "He told us what happened to him during our interrogation. I guess the Holloways have ruined both of our lives, huh Murphy?"

"You could say that again, kid" said Murphy "at least I know how the Sirens are connected with this suit now. I already knew how the Eridians were connected to it thanks to Johnson's ranting during my capture but it's good to be sure."

"You know, in a funny way Murphy is like part of our family now, right Erick?" said Ari.

"I wouldn't consider Murph family, Ari. No offense toward you of course" Erick said, looking at the Enforcer.

"None taken" said Murphy.

"Now on to more important things, like what the hell is Johnson planning to do with this arsenal" said Lilith. "Is he planning to take over Pandora like Jack and Duraph or is he planning something else."

"He doesn't give a damn about Pandora" said Murphy "He plans on destroying it after he gets what he wants, just for jollies." The Vault Hunters were surprised at Murphy's news; they thought how someone like Johnson could want to kill innocent lives for no reason.

"There's gotta be more to his plan than that. Wouldn't destroying a planet be a waste of firepower?" asked Axton.

"After he's done with this planet, he plans on amassing an army to take over the galaxy. And with the arsenal of the Champion, he'll succeed in doing it. We can't let that happen." Said Murphy

"And we won't" A.N.N said confidently "He needs a Siren and the key to open the Vault, both of which are here, am I correct Lilith?"

"She's got a point Murphy" Lilith agreed "The only way Johnson could ever reach Sanctuary is with the Fast Travel but we'd gun him down in town square if he tried that and he knows it.

"What about aerial bombardment?" asked Murphy "Back in Goose's Roost, I noticed Johnson and his men had a lot of birds they could use to reach Sanctuary, that is of course before I escaped and blew the place to hell."

"Won't work, he couldn't get through the shield over the city, he'd be wasting ammunition" said Mordecai.

"You said Johnson had plans to attack Sanctuary, am I right?" Lilith asked Murphy.

"Yeah, A.N.N hacked into his computer during our capture. It's encrypted but with your help, we should be able to break the codes protecting the files. Also, we downloaded a file talking about Opportunity, ever heard of the place?"

"Yeah, Moxxi runs the city now, it's called Freedom City" said Maya "she uses the place to stage fights for the Underdome. It's kind of like a home away from home type of place for us. Why would Johnson care about the city, he actually enjoys the idea of Moxxi running Jack's bright shining city?"

"Whatever it is, the sooner we know the better" said Mordecai.

"Hey Murph, Tannis said the Champion's suit has the location of his lost arsenal deep inside the suit's mainframe. Do you know the location of the Vault?" asked Erick

"No, I don't but A.N.N has the data inside her memory banks. The data contains the Vault's location but we can't break the codes. It's written in Eridian and neither of us can understand the language."

"I could break those codes in no time, Murphy" shouted Gaige "Tannis has couple language programs lying around we could use to break the codes. With Ari's help, we'll find the Champion's vault in no time. We might be able to use the weapons in our favor."

"That is a good plan" said Zero, agreeing with the Mechromancer's idea.

"We'll worry about that later. Our first priority should be finding out what Johnson's planning for Sanctuary and Freedom City" said Maya.

"I have to agree with Maya on this one" said Axton, backing the blue haired siren with her decision. The rest unanimously voted to go with Maya's plan.

"Alright then, let's get to work. Got any computers I could use?" A.N.N asked.

"There's one up in the central control room on the top floor, you can work with the girls and decrypt the files there" said Erick.

"Ari and I will take A.N.N upstairs so we can get to work. You wouldn't mind right, Murphy" asked Gaige. Murphy nodded to show he trusted the young Siren and the Mechromancer with the AI's safety. He extracted A.N.N from his helmet and handed her to Gaige.

"Careful not to drop her kid, she's the only family I have left."

"Don't worry Murphy, we'll be careful" said Ari.

"I'll see you again when I decrypt Johnson's files" said A.N.N. The two young girls ran up the stairs with A.N.N in hand to get to work on the files.

"While we wait for those files to decrypt, why don't you and I take a look around town so you can know your surrounding a bit better, hey killer?" said Lilith.

"As long as someone else doesn't try to shoot me, I'm okay with it" Murphy said while staring at Erick. Montayva could sense the tension between the two men due to the strenuous circumstances surrounding them. She wanted to intervene but Mordecai stopped her from doing so.

"Don't worry Monty; those two will get along eventually. These things just take time" Mordecai reassured. "Back when we were kids, Brick and I weren't exactly what you'd call the best of friends, but look how we turned out."

"That's what worries me" Montayva joked, kissing Mordecai on the lips. Both Lilith and Murphy walked outside the HQ to begin their tour of Sanctuary.


	15. Chapter 14-Talk of The Town

Murphy and Lilith began their tour of the city of Sanctuary in order to help the Enforcer know his surroundings better. The townspeople however were not comfortable with Murphy's presence due to his unusual appearance.

"I can already tell I'm going to be shot at, aren't I?" Murphy joked, trying to hide the fact that he was a bit nervous.

"Relax, as long as you stick with me they'll know you're a friend" said Lilith.

"I hope so."

"You have to cut them some slack, killer. How often do you think these people see a cyborg from another world that hasn't tried to kill them?"

"Fair point, but at least I'm not the equivalent of a deity who was partly responsible for the creation of the universe. I'd be more afraid of you then myself in their situation."

"Touché" Lilith laughed.

"By the way, Gaige mentioned an attack on HQ right before Erick and I were about to go at it, was it Johnson that attacked?"

"No, that was way before Johnson. About a year ago, A Siren named Eve led the Bloodshot Bandit Clan into releasing the Corrupted Brother. She attacked Sanctuary in an attempt to regain the Vault Key to free him."

"Did they succeed?"

"They did. They also captured Erick so he could charge the Vault Key. Luckily, Erick, the other Sirens and I were able to stop Eve, The Bloodshots and the Corrupted once and for all."

"Hold on. If Erick can charge the Vault Key, why hasn't Johnson tried to focus his attention on capturing him? Why rely just on the Sirens to charge the key?"

"Johnson doesn't know anything about Erick's connection with us. Johnson just thinks he's some random kid which makes Erick our trump card if we ever get into a jam."

"Great, the kid's important. That should help inflate his already bloated ego" Murphy said with a hint of jealousy.

"He's not the only one with an ego" said Lilith, looking at Murphy "If you're going to be working with us, I need to know that you two will keep your emotions in check and work with each other as a team."

"Hey, I'm a team player. You ask jump, I'll ask how high. It's the kid you'll have to worry about."

"Erick's a good guy. Give him a chance and you'll see that."

"Whatever, but if he calls me Murph one more time I'm gonna…" Lilith stopped near the entrance to Zed's clinic and started glaring at Murphy "Ok, you win. I'll give him a chance" said Murphy, not wanting to incite the Siren's wrath in fear that she would use her powers against him.

"Good to hear" Lilith said while smirking "Let's start your tour of our lovely city by introducing you to the local clinic. It's run by Doctor Zed. Just a fair warning, if he uses any of his medical equipment around you, make sure he disinfects them first."

"Why?" asked Murphy.

"Last time I went to his clinic I needed a bullet removed from my leg. The wound was infected for about two weeks after the operation." Lilith gave Murphy a rather concerned look after she finished.

"What's up?"

"Are you sure you're okay Murphy? You took one hell of a shock to the system. As much as I hate saying it, you might need to see Zed to check if you're a hundred percent." Murphy took a couple of quick jabs in the air and stretched his arms to see if he was better.

"Don't worry, I'm ready for action" Murphy said confidently.

"Wow, you're a fast healer" said Lilith, amazed at how fast Murphy recovered.

"It's a gift."

"Come on, let's head to Scooter's workshop."

"You mean the place with the same mechanic that freaked out when he saw me?"

"Don't worry, we'll stay outside the shop if it makes you feel more comfortable."

"Fine by me" Murphy and Lilith walked toward Scooter's workshop.

"Hey Lilith, why was Erick unpacking all those bags? Did your group just come back from a trip off world or something" asked Murphy.

"Good guess Murphy but not exactly. We traveled to Athenas to deal with an order of monks called The Order of the Impending Storm, we succeeded in stopping their plans. We just came back 2 months ago, around the time Johnson arrived. That's when Johnson gathered the remaining Hyperion troops and machinery on Pandora and made shop in the Arid Nexus." Murphy stopped Lilith to ask her about The Order of the Impending Storm

"I'm sorry, The Order of the what?"

"It's a long story, killer. If you want to learn more about them, speak with Maya. She's from Athenas. Ever since she was orphaned as a baby, the Order used her powers to control the planet through fear until she learned they were using her and she left. Their history now."

"Geez and I thought my childhood was troubled, this makes growing up in the orphanage look like paradise."

"You're an orphan too?" asked Lilith.

"Yeah, back when I was 10, my mom and dad died while driving me and my sister Ann to one of the theme parks we used go to every summer. My dad took a wrong turn trying to get there early and a truck slammed into the front of our car. My mom died on impact while my dad died in the hospital van transporting him to the ER."

"And Ann, what happened to her?"

"She and I were transferred to ST. Joseph's Orphanage, good people but the place was a shit hole. I eventually got out when I was 21 and joined the police academy to do some good. The rest you know."

"You told Gaige that your AI was the only family you had left, what really happened to your sister?" Murphy remained silent for several minutes, not answering Lilith's question. She soon realized that Murphy had lost her judging by the sad look from his eyes "I'm so sorry Murphy, was it the accident?"

"No, she died in the orphanage when I was 12. My sister was only 7 when she was killed" Lilith wanted to ask Murphy about the incident involving his sister until Murphy announced their arrival to Scooter's "We're here." Lilith cleared her throat and told Murphy about the place in an attempt to change the subject.

"Well, uh, this is Scooter's workshop. He's our town's mechanic but you've probably figured that out after this morning's little incident."

"I wouldn't call it little" Murphy joked.

"Right" Lilith laughed a bit "If you're looking for a job or if you need something fixed, he's your man."

"Any other places you'd like to show me?"

"Down the street is Claptrap's Diner. Best place in town to get a good meal. It's usually free so that's an added bonus."

"Why are the meals free?"

"Usually because of bad service from the waiters, they're really clumsy but what do you expect from dysfunctional robots."

"The place reminds me of Vito's pizza parlor back in Eden-5, had really great pizzas but the service was god awful. I usually got free pizzas during my time on the force because of it."

"Guess every world has a version of Claptrap's Diner, huh?" Lilith joked.

"Guess so" Murphy laughed. The two walked toward Marcus Munitions' after they'd finished touring the area they were in.

"This is Marcus Munitions', our main supplier of arms. If you need guns or ammo then this is the place to go. If you want to test some guns out, there's a firing range to keep your trigger finger fresh. Just an FYI, Marcus may try to rip you off so you may have to really put the screws on him to get a good deal."

"No problem, I'm usually good at making deals with cheap bastards" Murphy said while cracking his metal knuckles.

"I can tell" said Lilith "also, the target dummies are live bandits so don't be surprised.

"Wow, that's harsh."

"They've done worse to our people" said Lilith. Murphy changed the subject of the munitions store to talk about Gaige.

"Lilith, I need to ask you something about Gaige" said Murphy

"Ask what about Gaige?" said Lilith.

"What was with her clothes? When her parents gave me a picture of her a month ago, she was wearing stockings, a jean jacket, a skull shirt, a mini skirt, and she had pigtails. They told me she hated dressing like a normal girl. Now she's wearing jeans and let her hair down, I barely even recognized her."

"She changed her style, what can I say." Lilith said, shrugging her shoulders "For the most part, she's still that crazy little anarchist I met a couple of years ago but like that old saying, everyone grows up eventually."

"Clearly not everyone" said Murphy, commenting on Lilith's attitude and attire.

"Guess not" Lilith joked. In an odd way, Murphy and Lilith represented both sides of that argument. As a young man, Murphy was a hot shot with a bad temper who constantly broke police protocol to satisfy his own ego. Over the years, he learned to keep his anger in check for the most part and learned to work for the greater good instead of fighting for himself. Lilith however was a wild child, always getting into all kinds of trouble while growing up. Unlike Murphy for the most part, she has stayed the same young trouble maker even after all these years.

"So where to now?"

"Moxxi's Bar is the last place we'll visit, then we'll head back to HQ and I'll show you where you're sleeping tonight."

"Okay then, lead the way" Murphy said. The two were headed to the bar until something in town square diverted Murphy's attention. It was a statue of a man wearing a Crimson Lance uniform holding a rifle while standing next to a Scorpio Turret. Murphy left Lilith and approached the statue. Murphy could tell from the detail on the statue that whoever it was, he must have been important to the townspeople. The Plaque on the statue read "Here lies Roland, Our leader and our friend. Say not in grief: "He is no more." but live in thankfulness that he was." Lilith gave chase the minute she noticed Murphy walked away from her.

"Hey, what are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm a bit curious, who is Roland? He must have been important to these people if they built a statue of the man" said Murphy. A look of sadness swept over Lilith's face when Murphy asked her who Roland was.

"Roland was the founder of the Crimson Raiders and one of the original four Vault Hunters that came to Pandora. The other three were Brick, Mordecai and I."

"What happened to him?" Murphy asked. Lilith fought back tears as she remembered how Jack killed him. She mustered up the strength and told Murphy what happened.

"He was killed by Handsome Jack, that bastard shot Roland from behind. I was there when it happened; he died right in front of me" Lilith looked down on the ground, trying to hide her feeling from Murphy but she couldn't."I miss him."

"I'm sorry for your loss, I can tell Roland was obviously a good friend."

"He was more than a friend to me" Lilith said, chocking up as she said it. Murphy could tell she was upset and placed his hand on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort the Siren.

"Are you alright?" Lilith swiped her hand around in a circle, knocking Murphy's hand off her shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Let's just go to Moxxi's and then head back home, alright?" said Lilith, returning to her rather cheery self. Murphy could tell Lilith was hiding something, the same way he did when she asked him about his sister's fate. He stopped himself from asking her any questions as he didn't want to upset the Siren further.

"Smooth Murphy" said the Enforcer, cursing himself under his breath for upsetting Lilith. The pair walked toward the bar.

"This is Moxxi's bar, where we usually come for drinks, pizza, and to sign up for fights in the Underdome while other patrons come here for Moxxi's special services" Lilith said.

"Special services?"

"Let's just say after she does one of her services with you, you might want to take a long shower afterwards. Maybe even go to Zed's to check if you caught something, just in case."

"Oh, that kind."

"Well that should be it for the tour, let's head back and I'll show you your new digs" before Lilith could get moving, Murphy stayed in front of the bar and asked for her to come back.

"Let's head inside the bar first."

"Murphy, that's gross" said Lilith with a disgusted look on her face, obviously having the wrong idea.

"What? No, not that! I want to sign up for the Underdome to test myself to see if I'm at a hundred percent."

"Oh, well in that case let's head inside." Lilith and Murphy walked inside of the bar, it was another busy day as patrons filled the building. Moxxi was standing behind the counter, serving drinks and pizza to a group of men. Murphy was surprised to see such a voluptuous woman like Moxxi wearing a circus ringmaster's get-up while serving in a place like this. Moxxi turned around and focused her attention on Murphy.

"Well, who's this hunk of metal?" Moxxi purred.

"His name is Murphy; he's a new Vault Hunter, Moxxi. He wants to sign up for a fight in the Underdome" Said Lilith.

"Well, my arena is in serious need of some new blood. My Underdome has been terribly dull ever since Johnson started to stick his nose where it didn't belong. Tell me Murphy, are you a crowd pleaser?"

"If you're looking for someone to put on a show, then I'm your man" said Murphy, slamming his fist into his hand.

"That's what I love to hear in a fighter. I'll set up a match for you tonight. See you at Freedom City, handsome." Moxxi gave Murphy a wink and blew him a kiss as she usually did around new arrivals.

"Let's head back to HQ and gather the others for tonight. It's gonna be a one hell of a show" said Lilith. Murphy and Lilith left the bar and walked back to the HQ to prepare for tonight's festivities.


	16. Chapter 15-Ready for Action

Lilith and Murphy were walking back toward the HQ after their meeting with Moxxi. Meanwhile in the lobby of the HQ, Axton and Zero were still playing cards while Junior watched them play as he perched himself on the chair behind Zero. Maya was still reading on the couch, Tannis was fast asleep on top of her lab table. Erick was calibrating his cybernetic arm to move his joints more effectively. Montayva was sitting with Mordecai, his arm was wrapped around her waist while she was playing with one of his dreadlocks. Ari and Gaige were upstairs in central command, working with A.N.N to break the codes on Johnson's files.

"Ha! Suck it Zero!" yelled Axton, slamming his cards on the table "Got the Flush!" Junior shook his head, showing Axton he made a huge error.

"I have a Full House/Again, I'm Victorious/Want to play again?" Zero said, calmly placing his cards on the table. Axton's heart sank the minute he realized Zero had won again.

"Damn it, I thought I had you beat this time" said Axton, slamming his hands on the table "How do you always win?"

"You have a terrible poker face" said Zero, mocking the Commando.

"Hey, at least I have a face" yelled Axton. Zero retorted by projecting a smiley face emoticon over his helmet. "That doesn't count!"

"Stop being such a sore loser" said Maya, slamming her book shut "he won fair and square. Now pay the man his winnings and stop yelling. You're gonna wake the baby with that racket."

"Which baby?" Axton joked, pointing at Tannis. Maya gave Axton a look of great disdain.

"Do you need a time out?" Maya said, threatening to Phase-Lock Axton. Not wanting to incite the Siren's wrath, Axton gave his remaining chips to Zero.

"Fine MOM! I'll give the ninja his winnings" Axton said sarcastically.

"A pleasure doing business with you, Axton" said Zero.

"One of these days, I'm gonna remove that helmet and see what's under it."

"Is that a challenge I sense?" The group broke out in laughter as Axton and Zero's childish antics continued.

"Hey, simmer down you two" said Lilith, entering the lobby with Murphy standing next to her. Axton and Zero complied with the Siren's orders

"There you are. what took you guys so long?" asked Montayva.

"Murphy decided to head to Moxxi's for a couple of minutes after we were done touring the town" said Lilith.

"Ugh! Murphy! Don't tell me you did THAT with the heartless bitch" said Mordecai, thinking Murphy had done the deed with Moxxi.

"No, I just went in to sign up for a fight in the Underdome, that's all" Murphy clarified.

"Are you sure Murph? You did take your sweet time getting here and I don't blame you. Moxxi is one of the most beautiful women on Pandora" Erick joked.

"No, I did not sleep with Moxxi. And stop calling me Murph!"

"What did we just talk about earlier?" Lilith scolded. The minute the Siren reminded him of their talk, Murphy kept his temper in check as per Lilith's instructions.

"Please Lilith, just show me to my room," begged the Enforcer, trying to avoid further confrontation with The Brother. Lilith nodded and took Murphy up the stairs to the third floor.

"This is the girl's bunk over here" Lilith said, pointing at the closed door at the end of the hall "The room on the other end is the men's bunk. That's where you'll be sleeping during your time here."

"Does anyone snore while they sleep?" asked Murphy.

"Axton and Erick snore like rabid skags" Lilith joked.

"Guess I'll have to turn off my helmet's volume to block out the noise"

"Sounds like a good idea to me" Lilith agreed "The shower room is right behind us."

"Unless it's a car wash, it won't do me any good. Suit's grafted into my skin, remember?"

"Yeah I remember. So how do you bathe exactly?"

"Lots of car wax, a sponge and a bucket of water."

"Wow that sounds…" Murphy cut Lilith off before she could finish her statement.

"Like a machine."

"I wasn't going to say that, Murphy."

"I know, but that's what I feel like sometimes."

"Murphy you're not a machine, you're a good man with big heart. I can tell."

"A good man, if you'd seen the things I've done you wouldn't think of me as a good man" Murphy said with a sad tone of voice.

"But it wasn't your fault; Holloway made you do those things. Whatever mistakes you made are in the past. You just have to let these things go or it will consume you." Lilith was talking from experience, she's seen guilt ruin the life of her oldest friend, Mordecai for the past couple years before Montayva came into his life. Also, the pain of losing Roland was still deep as Lilith couldn't move on with her life after his death. Her speech fell at deaf ears however, as Murphy did not want to hear any of it.

"I'd better head to the room and get my things stowed away before we head to Freedom City" said Murphy. He walked toward the men's bunk and closed the door to it behind him. Lilith had a disheartened look on her face as she felt sorry for Murphy. She went up to the command center to get the girls for the trip to Freedom City.

Murphy stowed his gear in the locker next to the bottom bunk in the far right hand corner. The room was a mess with clothes and various items scattered around the floor and the tables but it was to be expected. Lilith made it to the top floor of the room to get the girls. The area was filled with communicators, computers, monitors surveying the planet, and various forms of intelligence scattered around the tables. A.N.N was plugged into the main computer in the right side of the room.

"Hey kiddos, we're heading to Freedom City to see Murphy test his metal in the Underdome. Care to join us?" asked Lilith.

"Are you sure we should go? What about the files?" said Ari, obviously concerned for the mission at hand.

"They can wait, Ari. It's not like they're going anywhere. Besides, we could use a little R&R" Gaige insisted. "A.N.N, do you want to go with us?"

"If Murphy's going to be in a fight, he's going to need me to watch his back" A.N.N said.

"Good, Murphy's in the men's bunk getting his things stowed away, you can hand A.N.N over to him there after he's done" Lilith instructed.

"This is going to be off the chain. Let me get my necklace first before we head out" said Gaige, jumping up and down with excitement.

"You mean the one my brother gave you, Gaige?" said Ari.

"Yeah, I haven't had the chance to wear it since we came back from Athenas" said Gaige "You'll hand A.N.N back to Murphy while I get the necklace." Ari complied and removed A.N.N from the computer and ran down the stairs to hand her to Murphy while Gaige ran to the girl's bunk to retrieve the green crystalisk necklace that Erick made her, signifying their love for each other. Lilith ran down the stairs to get the others ready for the trip. While walking with the older Siren, Ari could tell Lilith was upset about something.

"Lilith, are you okay?" asked Ari, concerned for Lilith.

"I'm fine Ari, hand Murphy A.N.N and I'll see you in the lobby with everyone else" Lilith ran down the stairs to meet everyone else in the lobby while Ari stopped at the third floor to meet Murphy. Ari frowned a bit because she knew something was wrong.

"She's fine, Ari" A.N.N reassured "Now let's meet up with my partner." Ari nodded and walked toward the men's bunk

Murphy walked out of the men's bunk and saw Ari, with A.N.N, standing right in front of the door.

"Hey Murphy, here's A.N.N back. Safe and sound as we promised" said Ari while pushing strands of loose hair from the front of her face over her left ear.

"Thanks kid" said Murphy. He grabbed A.N.N from Ari's hand and placed the AI back in his helmet. Gaige soon came bursting out of the door of the girl's bunk with the necklace around her neck.

"Let's roll out" said Gaige, ready to get going. Murphy noticed she had a green crystalisk necklace, he was curious of how the Mechromancer procured such an item.

"Where did you get that?" asked Murphy.

"Erick gave it to me, he made it himself. It was so romantic" Gaige's face started to blush as she remembered the day Erick gave it to her.

"Hey, Earth to Gaige, snap out of it" Ari said, snapping her fingers in front of Gaige.

"Ari, I was having a moment" Gaige snapped.

"Save that for later, we got to move now" Murphy urged. The three ran down the stairs to meet everyone else in the lobby. They regrouped with the other Vault Hunters and awaited further instructions from Lilith.

"Alright, we're heading to the Underdome, if any one wants to go see Murphy in action then get ready to move out. If not, you can stay here doing whatever suits you" said Lilith.

"I'm in. It beats the hell out of getting my ass kicked by Zero in poker all day" said Axton, throwing his cards on the table.

"This is intriguing/I'm also interested/ in seeing him fight" said Zero, intrigued at the prospect of seeing Murphy's skills put to the test.

"I could use a little exercise, count me in" said Maya, stretching her legs.

"Let's see if Murph here can back up his talk and kick some bandit ass" said Erick who was skeptical of Murphy's abilities.

"Sorry guys. As much as I'd like to go watch Murphy in action, I need to stay here and make sure everything's okay. Someone's gotta watch this place" said Mordecai. Montayva could sense that Mordecai really wanted to go although he tried his best to hide it. She also sensed he was worried for the baby and herself due to Tannis being around them.

"The baby and I will be fine, Mordecai. Go out and have some fun with our friends" said Montayva, urging him to go.

"I can't just leave you two alone with Tannis, who knows what kind of weird shit she'll be doing to you two with me gone."

"Tannis is fast asleep. And besides, if she does try anything Junior will stop her, right?" Junior squawked a couple of times and nodded toward Montayva. Mordecai wrestled with his thoughts until he came to a final decision.

"Okay, I'll go to the Underdome. Keep my girls safe while I'm gone, alright Junior?" Mordecai's bird perched himself on Montayva's shoulder, showing that he would keep his master's family safe.

"See you when you get back" said Montayva, giving Mordecai a kiss goodbye on the cheek "Tell me about the fight afterwards." Suddenly, a familiar voice boomed through everyone's Echo, it was none other than Johnson himself.

"Greeting's people of Pandora! This is Commander William Johnson bringing you another weekly Echo Cast live from the safety of my base in the Arid Nexus! Here's the news, stocks are up, violence is down, and the people of Pandora have declared global peace forever" Johnson started laughing uncontrollably at the ludicrously of his obviously false statement "I'm just bullshitting, none of that's true. Now on to the real news. To all you vicious bandit clans out there roaming the desert, I am offering a huge reward to anyone who can retrieve a certain person of interest. You can't miss him; he's 6'1, wears black armor with red alien markings on it. He is very armed and extremely dangerous so use extreme caution when approaching this individual. Bring him to me dead or alive but bring him intact or you're not getting shit. Also, still offering a huge reward to anyone who can fetch me a Siren. Just a warning for any of you who are stupid enough to bring me a dead chick covered with blue magic marker and green hair dye, you moron's will be shot on sight by yours truly if you continue with these acts of stupidity, so quit it. You know what, screw it, go ahead and do it. I could use a little target practice, my aim's been kinda rusty. From all of us in the Arid Nexus, this is Commander Johnson of the Hyperion military. You stay classy Pandora " Johnson began to finish his log in typical fashion.

"Jesus he sure loves hearing himself talk doesn't he?" said Erick.

"We'll deal with him later, right now we should kick back and relax for a bit" said Gaige, holding Erick's arm affectionately. Murphy had an enraged look on his eyes, still seething mad at Johnson for what he did to him back in Goose's Roost. Hearing Johnson's voice on the Echo only fueled his rage even further.

"Come on Murphy, let's get out of here and focus on the Underdome. We have a huge fight in our hands" said A.N.N, trying to keep Murphy's mind off Johnson. Murphy agreed and began walking with the other Vault Hunters toward Freedom City to put his skills to the test.


	17. Chapter 16-Ladies and Gentlemen

The Vault Hunters used the now functioning Fast Travel in town square to teleport to Freedom City, formerly known as Opportunity. The moment they arrived, Murphy was in awe of the city, the streets were filled with people going about their business without a care in the world. Stores, restaurants, and advertisements were literally in every corner. To Murphy, it was like being in another world. Freedom City stood as a shining symbol of a better Pandora; it was the Oasis in the blood stained desert.

"Wow, this place reminds me of home" said Murphy, amazed that such a city could exist on a hostile world like Pandora.

"Ever since we took care of Handsome Jack, Moxxi took over his big city and made it our second home" Maya said, taking in the sights.

"And it's a good thing she did too; Sanctuary was starting to get overcrowded. Now we have a place for these people to stay instead of just refusing them food and shelter" said Mordecai.

"Come on guys, the Underdome is just west of the entrance. We don't want to keep the crowd waiting" said Lilith. The Vault Hunters started their trek to the Underdome until Axton noticed something that caught his eye.

"Hey guys, check this out" Axton yelled enthusiastically. The group walked toward the Commando's area of interest and saw something very interesting. It was a statue of the second group of Vault Hunters standing over a defeated Handsome Jack lying dead on the ground. The Statues of the Vault Hunters were shaped in the likeness of Salvador, Axton with his Sabre Turret on his right, Maya, Zero, and Gaige with her science project, Death-Trap, floating behind her.

"This is embarrassing" Maya said, her cheeks turning bright red.

"Embarrassing? This thing is friggin awesome! We got to take a picture of this." Axton yelled like a child opening a present on Christmas day. Axton was always a glory hog and a thrill seeker, they were two of the reasons he was forced to leave the Dahl Military and the statue only fueled his egotistical behavior. "What do you think, Zero?"

"Interesting piece/ such beautiful craftsmanship/ Moxxi has good taste" said Zero, throwing in his thoughts on the statue.

"I wouldn't say she has good taste, she did date Jack after all" Mordecai said bitterly, still holding a grudge with Moxxi for dumping him for Jack.

"You're still mad about that?" teased Lilith.

"Not really, I'm glad she dumped my half-drunk ass. If she hadn't, I probably wouldn't be with Montayva."

"Everything has a silver lining" said Gaige. Her experiences were a testament to her statement; she was forced to leave Eden-5 after accidently killing Marcie. At first, it seemed her life was going to go from bad to worse as she thought she had to spend the rest of her life in a permanent hell on Pandora. Eventually, things got better for her as she became one of the greatest heroines to save Pandora from Hyperion and Handsome Jack. She found another family in her fellow Vault Hunters, she even found a boyfriend in Erick when he arrived almost a year ago. "The statue makes me look kind of fat though" Gaige pouted as she felt that the statue didn't capture her likeness completely.

"You like fine, babe" said Erick, holding her hand "At least Moxxi didn't put up that statue of her kicking Jack in the junk like fifty times."

"Not to ruin the moment but we should head to the Underdome before it's too late" Ari said, reminding the Vault Hunters of the real reason they arrived to the city. The group unanimously agreed and walked toward the Dome. After a couple of minutes walking around the city, they finally reached the Underdome. The place was a coliseum; guests came in large crowds, literally surrounding the building. Murphy stood in amazement as he admired the architecture of the Underdome.

"Looks like you're gonna have a huge audience watching you killer, remember to put on one hell of a show for them" Lilith said "The entrance to the arena should be on your right over there. We'll be in the booth cheering you on." Murphy nodded his head toward the Vault Hunters and began walking to the entrance. He was stopped however by Mordecai

"One more thing" Mordecai said, pulling the Enforcer back toward him "If Moxxi offers herself as a prize, don't accept it. Just ask for the guns and cash prize." Mordecai was talking from experience. Years ago, he won the Underdome and his prize was Moxxi but he would later lose her to Jack.

"Thanks for the tip" said Murphy. He waved farewell to his new friends and walked into the entrance, prepared for combat.

The Vault Hunters sat in a booth near the first row. Erick gave a look of concern for his younger sister as they sat on the bench.

"Are you sure you want to watch this Ari, remember your hemophobia" Erick said, concerned she may faint at the sight of blood.

"I'll be fine. As long as it's not right in front of me, I can handle it" Ari assured. Soon after, the speakers in the various placings throughout the arena began crackling as Moxxi came down to the Underdome in a podium floating over the arena.

"Good evening Pandora, nothing like some violence to end the day!" Moxxi's voice purred over the speakers. "At the request of our beloved saviors, we have a new Vault Hunter ready to test his metal, literally, in my beautiful Underdome." The crowd cheered, and judging by the roar, they had accrued quite a large audience. Maya and Lilith sat at the front of the booth, peering down eagerly. Night had fallen over Pandora. There were few spotlights assembled around the arena. Axton and Zero stood in the corner of the booth trying to get a better view. Erick, Gaige, and Ari sat in the middle of the booth, patiently waiting for Murphy's arrival. Mordecai sat in the back of the booth, holding a pair of Binoculars over his eyes to see the action with a better point of view.

Murphy was behind a giant door leading to the arena. "Why are we doing this again?" A.N.N asked curiously.

"That kid fried me pretty good, remember? I want to see if I can still put up a fight" said Murphy.

"Or you just want to show off" A.N.N teased.

"Well, maybe a little."

"Now introducing our contender" said Moxxi with enthusiasm "He's big, he's mean, and he's one tough son of a bitch! Put your hands together for Eden-5's favorite son, Jason Murphy!"

"Showtime" Murphy shouted. He kicked the metal door down with his metal boot, using his full strength. He knocked the large door off of its hinges, leaving a huge dent in it shaped like the bottom of his boot. The minute he walked out of the doorway, the crowds' cheers turned into a deafening din. The Vault Hunters were amazed at Murphy's feat of pure strength.

"Damn did you see what he did? I'd hate to be the guy who pisses him off" teased Axton, staring at Erick.

"Come on Ax, anyone can handle a door. Let's see if he can do the same to his competition" Erick scoffed.

"Nice entrance Murphy, but it might have been a little excessive" A.N.N said.

"Just giving the crowd what they paid for" Murphy retorted.

"Now that's what I call an entrance, ladies and gentleman" Moxxi shouted over the intercoms "Since I'm such a generous woman, we'll start off tonight with something special. Let the three stages of hell begin" The crowd roared the moment Moxxi said what kind of bout Murphy signed up for. Lilith gave a look of rage and stress because she knew what the Enforcer was in for.

"The three stages of hell!" Lilith yelled "Is Moxxi crazy? He can't take on all those creatures and bandits by himself! He'll die out there!" Moxxi began to wickedly cackle as the horn sounded and Murphy heard the grinding of the steel doors opening. A pack of rabid skags led by the larger badass shock skag charged right from the gate, ready to tear the Enforcer a new one.

"Please" Murphy said, unimpressed with his competition. He digistructed his Tesla Gauntlet and raised his fist in the air. Electricity surged from his right hand toward the rabid skags, turning them into electric ash. The badass skag was completely immune to Murphy's attack and shrugged off the blast as if it were nothing. The beast charged full speed at Murphy, ready to pounce on him. Murphy quickly threw a vicious left hook, knocking the skag on its side. Murphy grabbed the glowing beast by its jaws and twisted his neck, killing the beast. The crowd went wild at the sight of Murphy's abilities.

"Hijo de puta, did you see that? Murphy could give Brick a run for his money" said Mordecai, impressed with Murphy's sheer strength. Erick had an annoyed look on his face, Gaige and Ari both knew he was mad about something.

"Erick, are you jealous?" Ari teased. She knew he was jealous of Murphy because before his powers surfaced, Erick had the same look on his face every time Ari used her powers in front of her big brother.

"Why would I be jealous, he clearly ripped off my powers!" Erick shouted.

"Yeah, you're jealous."

"Don't be so upset Erick, Murphy's trick could save your skin one day" Gaige said in Murphy's defense.

"I highly doubt that" Erick chuckled.

"Did I promise you a show or what? Who loves you and who do you love?" Moxxi yelled, feeding off the crowds' energy. "Bring out the stalkers." The creatures jumped into the arena through the gate, turning invisible the minute they set their sights on Murphy. Murphy pulled out his Vladof Blaster, readying himself for the fight.

"This should be interesting" said Zero, eagerly waiting to see more of Murphy's abilities.

"A.N.N, activate thermal vision" Murphy instructed.

"Your wish is my command" A.N.N said. She activated Murphy's thermal vision, allowing Murphy to see the invisible creatures as clear as day. One by one, Murphy took out the stalkers with the greatest of ease. Murphy stood in the center of the arena, reveling in his victory over the creatures. Out of nowhere, a giant stalker appeared behind Murphy, prepared to strike.

"Murphy, watch out!" yelled Lilith, pointlessly banging her fist on the glass in an attempt to warn Murphy. Murphy calmly placed the barrel of his gun over his shoulder, pulled the trigger, and blasted the stalker's head clean off. Lilith breathed a sigh of relief the minute Murphy was out of danger.

"Show off" Lilith said, smiling slightly.

"Relax Lilith, you're gonna get a heart attack if you keep this up" Maya joked, calmly placing her hand on the worried Siren's shoulder "Murphy's a big boy, he can take care of himself."

"You have one more round left, Murphy. Do you have what it takes to survive?" said Moxxi

"Go ahead Moxxi, send in the rest. I can do this all night" Murphy boasted.

"You have stamina; I love that in a man" Moxxi purred "Final round, bandits!" A large group of bandits, psychos, and midgets led by a goliath rushed out of the final door.

"Welcome to die!" yelled the goliath, firing an assault rifle in each hand. Murphy pulled out his Hornet and digistructed his Riot Shield over his right arm. The bandits opened fire on Murphy but his shield blocked all incoming fire. Murphy fired the Hornet, landing perfect headshots on every bandit, psycho, and midget. The bullets slowly dissolved their brains and skulls as they died. Murphy shot off the goliath's helmet, revealing the hole in its neck. Murphy stared at his gun, believing his gun shot off the giant's head cleanly.

"Damn, this thing is more powerful than I thought" said Murphy, commenting on his pistol. Murphy had no idea what a terrible mistake he made.

"This just got really bad" said Lilith, covering her eyes with her hands.

"Murphy, I'm detecting that his heart is still beating. He's still alive!" A.N.N warned

"So angry, SO GODDAMN ANGRY!" yelled the enraged goliath. The dopiness in his voice changed into pure rage, his skin turned bright red, he threw his guns on the ground, and a disfigured skull popped out of the hole in his neck. The goliath charged full speed at Murphy, shrugging of the corrosive bullets from Murphy's Hornet and rammed The Enforcer into the outer wall. Murphy was down on the ground, dazed a bit from the monster's attack. Murphy stood back up, planting the lower edge of his shield on the ground to help himself up. Murphy began slamming his fist on his shield, daring the goliath to try his attack again.

"Come on, you piece of shit! Eat me!" yelled Murphy, flipping off the goliath in an attempt to further enrage him.

"I'LL GAUGE OUT YOUR EYEBALLS WITH MY FINGER NAILS AND FLOSS MY TEETH WITH YOUR GODDAMN SPINE!" yelled the goliath as he charged at Murphy with mal intent. Murphy charged at the goliath with his shield in hand. Before they made contact, the giant threw a right hook at Murphy but the Enforcer dodged the attack. Murphy slammed his shield into the belly of the goliath, knocking him down on his back. He finished off the creature by curb stomping his deformed head, blood covered the bottom of Murphy's boot as brains and bones splattered everywhere on the ground. The crowd became silent, shocked at what they have just seen. The silence soon turned into a roar of cheers afterwards. The Vault Hunters, including Erick, joined in with the crowd as they cheered on their newest member.

"Oh thank god" Lilith said, letting out a sigh of relief knowing that the battle was over and Murphy was still in one piece.

"See, I told you he'd be fine" said Maya, cheering the red haired Siren up after nearly having a nervous breakdown.

"Give it up for Murphy ladies and gentlemen, he's earned it" said Moxxi as she commended the Enforcer for surviving the challenging fight. Murphy raised his fist in the air as he celebrated victory in the Underdome.


	18. Chapter 17-Bar Room Shenanigans

The next night, Murphy and the others returned to Sanctuary to celebrate his victory in the Underdome. The Vault Hunters were in Moxxi's bar having a huge party. Axton was trying his luck in one of the slot machines. Zero was playing darts, throwing his kunai knives on a bullseye board with a picture of William Johnson in the middle. Maya, Lilith, and Ari were making small talk in one of the booths while Murphy was picking up food and drinks from the bar counter. Mordecai, Montayva, Gaige, and Erick were absent however as they had a planned double date in Claptrap's diner and A.N.N was back at HQ, inside of the main computer on the top floor entering standby mode. Moxxi handed the Enforcer the meal he ordered.

"Now that's what I call a show, Murphy!" Moxxi yelled "there were more people entering my arena than booze going through my second husband's liver! And it was all thanks to you."

"Glad I could be of service. How much do I owe you for all this?" Murphy asked.

"Don't worry about it sugar, it's on the house. And I'll throw in a little extra if you want" Moxxi purred, lustily bending over to show off her rather large bust.

"Sorry Moxxi, not interested" said Murphy as he hurriedly rushed back toward the booth with the drinks and food. Murphy slid into the booth and sat next to Lilith, passing her a cold glass of beer. "Here you go. A tall one on the house."

"Thanks killer" said Lilith "You know we could have gotten all this for ya. We're here celebrating your big win."

"Just trying to be a gentleman, that's all" Murphy passed another tall beer to Maya and tossed a bottle of soda pop to Ari. Axton came to the booth, sliding in next to Maya while holding a large stack of cash that he won from the slot machines. Axton grabbed a bottle of whiskey from the table and popped it open.

"Did you just rob a bank?" asked Maya, noticing Axton's rather large pile of money.

"I just had three straight jackpots, today is my lucky day" said Axton. He proceeded to grab some rakk wings and a slice of pizza while downing his whiskey.

"Speaking of luck, you might want to give me some of that cash before Zero takes it all" Maya joked, taking a jab at Axton's poker skills.

"Did someone mention my name?" said Zero as he walked back to the booth after filling the board with kunai knives.

"Not funny" said the Commando, giving Maya a rather sour look. Lilith raised her glass and gathered everyone around the booth.

"Everyone, I would like to propose a toast to our newest member. Here's to Murphy, welcome to the family." Everyone raised their glasses and congratulated Murphy on his big win.

"I got to give you credit Murphy, you're the first person to ever beat the three stages of hell by himself. That's unheard of" said Axton, still amazed at Murphy's victory.

"You should have seen Lilith, she was freaking out back in the booth" Maya said. The red haired Siren had a look of embarrassment on her face when Maya mentioned the way she acted earlier.

"Well it was just that I didn't want you to get killed. After all, you just joined our team and someone with your skills could prove to be a huge asset in our war with Johnson and…" Lilith continued to blabber on nervously about the numerous reasons why she worried for the Enforcer's safety until Ari butted into the conversation.

"What Lilith is trying to say is that she was worried for you out there and she's sorry Moxxi pulled that crazy move by putting you through all of those obstacles" Ari said, simplifying Lilith's statement.

"Uh, yeah, exactly what Ari said" Lilith began to nervously scratch her red hair while staring at Murphy.

"Thanks for the concern, Lilith. I appreciate it" said Murphy.

"So Murphy, got anyone special back home waiting for you?" Maya asked.

"Unfortunately no, I don't have anyone special on Eden-5. I've been so busy with my work; I've hardly had time to focus on my personal life. Plus, who would be with a tin can like me."

"Their loss, who wouldn't want to be with someone like you" Ari said, cheering the Enforcer up.

"You think so, kid?"

"I know so."

"Since we are on the subject, I noticed that Erick and Gaige are hitting it off pretty well. Still trying to figure out how that happened" Murphy joked "Do you have someone back home, Ari." Ari slowly cracked a shy smile as her usually pale cheeks faded into a light rosy color. Murphy could tell she was uncomfortable answering his question "If you don't want to talk about it, we can drop the subject."

Finally, Ari mustered up the courage to answer Murphy "Alyx is about as tall as I am with short, spiky, black hair and is very vivacious yet gentle with me."

"Sounds like an awesome guy."

Ari's face grew redder with embarrassment. "Oh…uhm."

"Alyx is a girl isn't she?"

"Was it that obvious?" Ari said.

"At first, no. But after you started getting nervous, I figured it out. Where is she?"

"She's back on Earth, we send messages through the Echo from time to time."

"Why were you getting all nervous when I asked?"

"Well, it's something that's hard to talk about in front of new people."

Murphy gently patted Ari's head with his metal hand"I don't judge, kid. Back on Eden-5, same sex relationships are common. Even some of the planet's leaders have those types of relationships."

"Thanks Murph" said Ari "it's just that back on Earth, most people hate it when someone falls in love with another of the same sex. Their judgments can be pretty harsh sometimes."

"If anyone's giving you trouble, just let me know. Like Lilith said, I'm part of the family now and I'll do whatever it takes to keep everyone safe. And please don't call me Murph, your brother's already bugging me with that nickname" Murphy joked. The whole group erupted in laughter. Axton noticed Murphy hadn't touched his beer at all judging by the heavy condensation around the glass.

"Aren't you gonna drink your beer Murphy? It's getting warm" said Axton. Murphy gave a solemn look toward the Vault Hunters because he didn't want to remove his helmet and show them his face, feeling that they would fear him for it.

"I'll drink it later" Murphy said nervously twiddling his thumbs. Lilith could tell he was hiding something when he made his statement. Lilith placed her hand on Murphy's shoulder.

"Hey, it's ok Murphy. If you're worried about your appearance, we won't judge" Lilith said affectionately "Like you said before; you're part of our family now."

"Besides, it can't be as bad as Jack's face. After we removed his stupid mask, he was anything but handsome let me tell ya" Axton's attempts to motivate Murphy only made him feel more uncomfortable. Zero slapped Axton over the back of his head to silence the Commando "Ow! What was that for?"

"You're not helping, Axton" Maya scolded.

"It's ok Maya, he didn't mean anything wrong by it" Murphy said defending the Commando's actions. Murphy took a deep breath and punched a couple of numbers on his wrist, deactivating the locks and safety measures in his helmet. Murphy placed both of his hands on the sides of his helmet and slowly lifted off his head and placed it on the table, revealing his face. Murphy had long black hair that covered the upper half of his ears and reached down toward his neck. It was brushed back neatly with a couple of strands over his forehead. He had pale skin like the Sirens due to the extended time he wore the helmet over his head. He had two knife scars on his face, one that ran down his right eye and another that ran down the left side of his lip. He had small stubbles of facial hair growing on his face. His most defining features were his glowing blue cybernetic eyes and the glowing blue veins on the side of his neck. This was due to the advanced circuitry in his body and the Nanites coursing through his bloodstream.

The Vault Hunters stared at Murphy for a couple of seconds, not in disgust but rather in awe and sadness as they wondered who could do something like this to a good man like Murphy.

"When you said Holloway experimented on you, I had no idea he could go so far to change you" Lilith said remembering what Murphy had told her during his interrogation "How did you survive something like that?"

"I still have no idea how I survived. The pain I went through as the doctors ripped me open and inserted the cybernetics in my body was unbearable. I should have died then and there. After the things I did, maybe I should have died that day." Murphy grabbed his beer and drank it in one gulp, trying to drown out his sorrows.

"What things?" asked Maya.

"When Holloway changed me, he erased my memory and made me his slave. I killed innocent people so he could take control of my home. I can never bring those lost souls back."

"We've all made terrible mistakes in our past Murphy. All we can do is put it behind us and move on with our life or it will tear us up inside" Lilith said talking from experience. Although she tried to hide it, she still never fully got over Roland's death as she felt it was her fault he was gone.

"Maybe you're right. At least I can repay my sins by doing some good here" Murphy appreciated Lilith's sympathy and returned it with a warm smile.

"How did you get the scars on your face, was it Holloway?" Ari asked politely as she didn't want to upset Murphy further.

"No, it was something else but I'd rather leave that tale for another day" Murphy began having flashes of the day his sister died, he shuddered at the memories. Lilith could tell he was growing more uncomfortable with the questions and decided to cheer Murphy up a little.

"Come on, let's have some fun" Lilith stood up and walked toward the bar counter, dragging Murphy along with her.

"What are we doing?" Murphy asked curiously raising an eyebrow.

"You and I are going to have a drinking contest" Moxxi turned around and noticed the pair behind the counter.

"Hey there, want anything in particular?" Moxxi asked.

"Give us a large order of shots, the strongest stuff you got" Lilith demanded.

"Well if you insist."

"This is a bad idea" Murphy warned, knowing the Siren was going to lose. Murphy's Nanites gave him the ability to heal from almost all injury and ailments, meaning he couldn't get drunk even if he tried.

"What's the matter, worried?" Lilith said with a cocky look on her face.

"Yeah, for your health" Murphy said, cracking a huge smile for the first time in a long time. Lilith laughed as she shrugged off Murphy's concern for her, believing he was trying to intimidate her.

"Here you go honey, the strongest booze I have" Moxxi said, placing multiple rounds on the counter. Lilith grabbed the first shot and drank it all in one gulp.

"Damn that's good! Your turn" said Lilith, glancing back at Murphy, daring him to go next. He picked up the glass and stared at it for a couple of seconds.

"How does this work exactly?" Murphy asked.

"Simple, the first one to keel over loses. Loser pays the tab."

"Alright, you're on" Murphy said, gulping down a shot.

"I got my money on Lilith" Axton said, betting his winnings in an attempt to beat Zero.

"Murphy will be victorious" Zero said, accepting the Commando's wager.

"Not this again" Maya moaned, slamming her head on the table in disbelief Axton and Zero were betting again. Ari laughed at the humorous predicament and Maya slowly joined her as she raised her head from the desk. After several hours of drinking, Lilith was inebriated beyond recognition while Murphy was still in top condition.

"Come on Moxxi, pour me another ssssshot!" Lilith slurred, barely able to get the last word out of her sentence.

"I think you had enough, sugar" Moxxi said, trying to protect Lilith from further harming herself with alcohol.

"I have to agree with Moxxi. Besides, after I take this last shot you'll have to pay the tab" Murphy chuckled.

"In your dreams" said Lilith, hiccupping while she did. Her tattoos soon began glowing bright blue and she disappeared as a cloud of purple haze filled the vicinity in where she once stood.

"Where did she go?" Murphy asked taken by surprise with Lilith's unique powers. She reappeared behind the Enforcer and took his shot while he was still distracted "What the hell!" yelled Murphy with a look of pure shock as he jumped out of his seat the minute he noticed her. Lilith drank the last shot almost immediately.

"Ha! Guess I win!" Lilith giggled uncontrollably for several seconds until her legs gave out on her. Her vision began to go black and she felt the rest of her body collapse.

"Lilith!" Murphy yelled as he caught the Siren before she fell to the ground. The others stopped what they were doing and rushed toward the unconscious Siren.


	19. Chapter 18-The Aftermath

Murphy walked out of the bar, carrying a drunken Lilith in his arms while the others followed him. Zero projected a happy face emoticon over his helmet while carrying a large wad of cash. Axton had a look of disappointment on his face while Maya was holding in her laughter. Ari was walking next to Murphy with his helmet in her hands; she worried for the older Siren's condition.

"Murphy, is Lilith going to be ok?" asked Ari, a look of concern was on the younger Siren's face. Lilith slowly awoke from her drunken stupor, confused of her surroundings for a moment until she realized she was outside the bar.

"Guess you'll find out now" Murphy said "Hey Lilith, how are feeling?"

"I don't feel so hot" said Lilith, holding her stomach.

"Don't worry about that, you look fine" Murphy joked. Lilith smiled warmly at Murphy's obvious attempt at humor but her face turned from pale to sickly green. Her cheeks started to puff up and she vomited all over Murphy's chest. Murphy's look of concern changed into a look of disgust. "I just cleaned this suit."

"Oh god, I'm sorry. It just came out and I couldn't stop myself" Lilith said. She covered her mouth with her hands as she began feeling nauseous.

"It's ok, are you feeling any better" Murphy said, trying to focus on Lilith's condition and less about himself.

"No, I'll feel worse. I should have never have started that contest. Ugh! My stomach" Lilith moaned, wrapping her arms around his stomach.

"Now I'm gonna be sick" Axton said, feeling a bit nauseous himself after Lilith vomited. The group made it to HQ, Gaige and Montayva were already upstairs sound asleep, Tannis was still out cold on the table in her lab while Mordecai and Erick were conversing in the lobby. Mordecai was going to greet them as he normally did until he saw Lilith in Murphy's arms.

"What the hell happened?" Mordecai wondered.

"A drinking contest/She made her ancestors proud/right until the end" Zero said, answering Mordecai's question.

"Exactly, and I was the one she went up against" said Murphy, explaining the rest of the story to the Hunter "I'll go into the details later but first, help me get Lilith to the couch." Mordecai stood up from his chair and helped carry the sick Siren to the couch. Murphy gently placed Lilith's head on the pillow Mordecai placed. An awful smell filled the air and Erick pinched his nose in an attempt to block out the horrid stench.

"Jesus, what smells like age old Bourbon mixed with motor oil?" Erick shouted.

"That would be me" Murphy answered, pointing at the bile on his armor. Erick didn't recognize Murphy at first due to the fact his helmet was off but once he saw the alien markings on his vomit covered chest, Erick recognized him instantly.

"So that's what you like under the helmet. I'm glad I was wrong about the whole horribly disfigured idea" Erick joked.

"Glad I could prove you wrong" Murphy said, cracking a smile "Pass me a sponge, a bucket of water, and any car wax you can spare. Also, get an empty bucket for our patient." Erick ran to the back of the lobby and grabbed the aforementioned items in a closet next to Tannis's lab. Erick ran up to the kitchen sink and filled one of the buckets with water, as instructed. Erick passed Murphy the bucket of water, car wax, and a sponge while passing an empty bucket toward the Hunter.

"Here you go Murph, everything you asked for. Do you want some air fresheners while I'm at it?" Erick joked.

"No, I'm good" Murphy gave Erick an annoyed look due to his insensitive comment but it changed into concern as he refocused on Lilith's condition. Ari placed Murphy's helmet on the table, the Enforcer nodded at the young Siren showing his appreciation.

"Take it easy Lilith" Mordecai said to his old friend. He passed her the bucket; she leaned a bit and began vomiting inside of it. One of her hands was holding the bucket while the other was pulling a fistful of her own red hair back to keep it from getting any messier. After a couple of minutes, she was done vomiting in the bucket. It was nearly filled to the rim with refuse. "Damn, someone had a little too much to drink tonight" Mordecai joked as he dumped the bile down the toilet in the lobby bathroom.

"Looks like I have to pay the bar tab, huh Murphy?" Lilith joked with a sickly smile on her face, remembering her bet with the Enforcer.

"Don't worry, Zero was generous enough to pay it for us" said Murphy trying to put the Siren's mind at ease.

"Which reminds me, how the hell did Zero find all that cash? Did he rob Marcus or something?" Erick asked, wondering where the Assassin found all that currency.

"Let just say it wasn't Axton's lucky day" Maya answered with a cheeky look on her face.

"If you need me, I'll be upstairs sulking" Axton grumbled. The Commando marched toward his bunk in the third room floor.

"You had a lot of drinks too, Murphy. Are you still ok?" Maya asked. She knew Murphy drank as much booze as Lilith and wondered if he could still function physically and mentally.

"Don't worry about me Maya, I couldn't get drunk even if I wanted to. One of the many gifts of self-regeneration" Murphy answered.

"Cheater" Lilith joked playfully. Although she was sick, Lilith was happy and had a look of joy on her face. It was the same one she used to have when Roland was still alive. Mordecai could see Lilith giving Murphy a warm look but he didn't say anything as he did not want to enrage a drunken Siren. Lilith slowly started to stand on her own two feet. Maya helped the inebriated Siren up after she stumbled.

"I'll take Lilith upstairs and get her cleaned up. Good night everyone." Maya walked up the stairs holding Lilith's hands; helping her keep her balance with each wobbly step she took. Ari decided to hit the hay and walked up the stairs after saying goodnight to her fellow Vault Hunters. Zero bowed toward his friends, wishing them a good night's rest. He ran up the stairs to his bunk on the third floor. Erick yawned and decided to head up and get some rest after another crazy day. Only Mordecai and Murphy stayed behind. Murphy sat on the couch and began to clean off the vomit from his chest. Mordecai sat on the chair and popped open another soda.

"Now that was odd. Lilith usually never gets drunk like this" Mordecai said while downing his soda "What did you two do?"

"She was trying to liven things up a bit so she dragged me into a drink off back in the bar. You already know who won" Murphy said while scrubbing off the vomit from his chest "In retrospect, it was kind of fun" Murphy chuckled a bit. Mordecai noticed that Murphy had a smitten look on his face. He knew there was something between Murphy and Lilith.

"You like Lilith, don't you Murphy?" Mordecai teased.

"Me? No, no, no, no, no! She is a great gal and all but… uh" Murphy began fumbling around with words as he grew nervous. His thoughts grew cloudy as he couldn't figure out what to say, something that has never happened to Murphy before. Murphy started to nervously scratch his neck as he tried to hide his affection for the red haired Siren. Mordecai patted Murphy on the back and smiled a bit.

"Hey man, it's cool. Love is a tricky thing, I know from experience." The Hunter knew what he was talking about as he experienced the same thing with Montayva. "Don't try hiding it because connections like that are once in a life time. If you try to ignore those feelings then that connection is gone."

"I appreciate the advice but there is nothing between me and Lilith. I mean look at us, I'm some metal head with deep personal issues from a planet once filled with thieves and criminals while she's like the equivalent of a god. It would never work between us."

"And I used to be a cranky drunk who hated everything in his life and I'm with someone who has a heart of gold. It doesn't matter who you are or what you've done, the most important thing is you care for one another. Besides, you and Lilith are more alike than you think, even though you may try to deny it. I think she needs someone like you around."

"What makes you say that?" Murphy wondered.

"Although she tries her best to hide it, I know she still misses Roland. I think she needs someone to help her fill that hole inside her heart" Mordecai was not gifted with the ability to read moods like Montayva but he did an exceptional job of seeing what Murphy and Lilith felt.

"You're not a mood reader too by any chance" Murphy joked.

"Nah, but I learned from the best. Sleep tight Murphy" Mordecai went up the stairs to get some rest. Murphy could not deny the truth in Mordecai's statement, he did feel something when he was around Lilith and he could tell she felt the same around him. He began pondering whether if something could work between Lilith and himself but he decided to ignore such a notion. He returned to what he was doing before and continued removing the refuse from his chest.


	20. Chapter 19-Ghosts of Yesterday

After an hour, Murphy was finally cleaned up. He dried his armor with a towel and got himself ready for bed. He was ready to stand up until he heard a baby crying near the steps. He turned toward the stairway and saw Montayva holding a small baby in her arms. Montayva was wearing some loose fitting pajama pants and a tank top. Her hair was no longer in one huge braid and was unbound, almost covering her face. "Mind if I sit next to you?" Montayva yawned, rubbing her fist in her eyes.

"Be my guest" Murphy said. Montayva sensed he was glad for the company and sat next to the Enforcer, she also sensed his concern for Lilith "How's Lilith feeling?"

"She's still hung-over but she's doing better. She can walk and dress on her own again so that's a good sign" Montayva said. "I almost didn't recognize you without your helmet on. You're a lot more attractive than I thought you were."

"Thanks for the compliment, not bad for someone who's 37 years old" Murphy said. He wrapped his metal hand around his chin and raised an eyebrow, trying to be funny by pretending to show off his good looks. Montayva started to giggle at bit at Murphy's silly attitude.

"You look more like 29 to me" Montayva tried to hold in her laughter but failed to do so.

"It's one of the side effects of cybernetic enhancement, you age slowly."

"Lucky" Montayva joked. Although she still looked like a beautiful young girl, she felt like she was 50 years older due in no small part to her child's birth.

"I'm surprised no one has started running for the hills yet. Usually when someone sees me without the helmet, they tend to freak." Murphy threw his towel into the empty bucket and placed his boots on the table, almost knocking over his helmet.

"You look fine Murphy, it will take some time to get over the veins and the eyes though" Murphy nodded at Montayva, understanding she meant no insult. It took Murphy some time to look at himself through a mirror after his operation was done. Montayva grabbed a bottle of milk from her pocket and prepared to feed the baby. Murphy noticed the young baby crying in her arms. The baby had black hair and blue eyes.

"You have a beautiful little girl there" said Murphy "she looks just like you."

"Thank you, she's the world to me" Montayva smiled at her young child, holding her affectionately. The baby began to pull at her long hair. Montayva had a pained expression on her face as the baby gave her hair a hard tug. The Baby eventually released her grip as she started to settle down. Murphy began to smile warmly at the sight of Montayva caring for her child; he could tell she was a loving mother.

"She doesn't have your eyes though" said Murphy, noticing the difference in eye color between the two.

"They're her father's eyes" Montayva smiled warmly and her eyes glistened with emotion when she began reminiscing the time she spent with Mordecai. She refocused herself on feeding her hungry baby and checked if the milk was warm enough. She sprinkled a couple drops on her wrist and noticed it was cold "I don't wish to be a bother but would you kindly heat up the bottle for me. The microwave is in the kitchen."

"Not a problem, pass me the bottle" Montayva handed Murphy the bottle of milk. He slowly began to heat it with his metal hand as an orange glow replaced the black color in Murphy's armored hand. Montayva looked in astonishment at Murphy's ability. His hand slowly began cooling down and changed back to black once Murphy had heated the bottle to the right temperature. "Here you go, a bottle of warm milk" Murphy handed the bottle to Montayva. She started feeding the baby and her crying finally stopped.

"Is there anything you can't do" Montayva asked, impressed with Murphy's powers.

"I can't fly, that's something" the two started to burst into laughter. Once their laughter ceased, Montayva continued to converse with Murphy about the events that transpired in the past two days.

"I heard you put on quite show back in the Underdome. Mordecai told me you dominated the competition."

"I had help" Murphy was of course giving credit to his partner A.N.N, who assisted the Enforcer with defeating his obstacles. "Did he also tell you Lilith freaked out when Moxxi decided to put me through the three stages of hell?"

"Yeah, he did. She likes you for some strange reason."

"Maybe it's my charisma" Murphy bragged in a failed attempt to hide his feelings from Montayva.

"I know you feel the same about her" Montayva said, cocking her eyebrow at Murphy.

"I can't hide anything from you can I?" Murphy huffed.

"Sorry, it's just natural for me to know what other people are feeling. If I'm making you feel uncomfortable I'll try to keep it to myself."

"It's okay; it's not your fault. Besides, I'm doing a terrible job in hiding it anyway."

"Yes you are" Montayva exclaimed. Her cheerful tone changed into a more somber one. "Maya told me about the things you did back on Eden-5, is that why I felt such a deep rooted sense of guilt and loathing inside of you earlier?"

"That's one reason" Murphy said as he began frowning. He knew the mood reading Siren would find out eventually so he decided to tell her the other reason. Montayva sensed a great deal of pain from Murphy when he began to tell his story. "When I was a boy, my parents died in an accident. I was transferred to St. Joseph's Hospital with my younger sister, Ann. The place wasn't exactly paradise but it was home. There were good people taking care of us but the boys in the orphanage were crooks. They stole from anyone that was near the orphanage, fights broke out all the time and violence was kind of the norm. I would have joined them too if it weren't for Ann, she was the rock that kept me on the straight and narrow."

"Your AI is named Ann as well, what happened to your sister Murphy?" Montayva interrupted, noticing the correlation between the names.

"That's just coincidence, A.N.N wasn't named after my sister" Murphy began to choke up before he could answer Montayva about his sister's fate "My sister died right in front of me." Montayva had a look of shock on her face when Murphy told her.

"What happened?" Montayva exclaimed.

"We were going off world to Eden-6 on a field trip, she was excited about going to another world. Ever since she could read, she had this crazy notion that she was going to be a Vault Hunter when she grew up, roaming the stars and finding many treasures across the galaxy. She couldn't sleep that night because she was excited so we decided to gaze at the stars until she felt tired. We heard something downstairs before we decided to hit the hay. I told her to stay upstairs while I checked it out. What I found was some junkie looking for a quick cash grab. Like the hard headed idiot I was, I tried to stop him. I ended up getting cuts on my face and nearly died. Before he could finish the job, Ann came running down the stairs to see if I was ok. The junkie freaked and shot her on sight. I blacked out after that and woke up in the hospital with Father Joseph sitting next to my bedside. He told me what happened to her. She died because of me and now she'll never live her dreams" Murphy clenched his fist tightly and slammed it on his forehead as he fought back his emotions.

Montayva sensed that Murphy was trapped in his grief, like her father and Mordecai. She felt sorry for Murphy as she knew he had no one to comfort him in his loses through the years. Mordecai had his friends to aid him with his grief while Montayva's father had Montayva to comfort him, even though she failed to help him deal with his demons. Murphy calmed down and finished his story

"After I became 21, I joined the police department to make a difference in my world. It was going great until Holloway came and turned me into this. The rest you know."

"Murphy, I'm sorry you feel this way. I know something about guilt as well." Montayva also had a sad look on her face like Murphy's "When I was young, I felt as if I was responsible for my mother's death and that I was the reason my father hated himself."

"What happened to your mother?" Murphy asked.

"She died in labor, giving birth to me. I was worried that I would suffer the same fate too" Montayva began to gently ran her fingers through her baby's hair.

"That's understandable; with someone like Zed taking care of patients I can see why you would be worried. Then add what happened to your mom, the fear alone would likely be crawling in the back of your mind. I still don't see how it's your fault your mother died, these things tend to happen even with the advanced technology hospitals use."

"It wasn't that. As you know, only six Sirens can exist in the universe at one time. My mother was one of them and I was born a Siren. I'm not sure but I think there were already six Siren's before I was born so one of us had to die so the other could live. She had to choose between her life or my own life. She accepted death so I would live." Murphy realized why Montayva was worried about birthing a child as he remembered Axton's comment from earlier. The baby was a Siren like her mother. Murphy gave a look of astonishment as he stared at the baby. He could not imagine how something so gentle and calm would become so powerful.

"You were worried about making the choice your mother made" Murphy said, finally understanding Montayva's story. She nodded slowly at him, verifying his statement. "I can see why you and your farther would feel guilty after something like that. But it wasn't your fault and it wasn't your father's either."

"I understand that now, but you feel like it was your fault that Ann is gone." Murphy sank back to his depression the minute she mentioned it.

"It was my fault. Destiny didn't play a cruel joke on me like it did you. If I hadn't went down those steps and just stayed with her, maybe she would be here with me."

"You were just trying to help Murphy, you weren't the one who squeezed the trigger" Montayva grasped Murphy's hand and squeezed it gently as she tried to help him through his guilt. Murphy did not accept the gesture and removed Montayva's hand from his.

"Whatever happened in the past is done, I can't change that. All I can do now is atone for my mistakes and do some good." Murphy grabbed his helmet and marched up the stairs without even giving Montayva a second look. Montayva could sense a swarm of emotions battling inside Murphy. She tried again to talk to him but he was already upstairs in the bed. Once the baby was sound asleep, Montayva decided to go back to her bunk and get rest for tomorrow.


	21. Chapter 20-The War Begins

It was morning in Pandora. The Vault Hunters were awake, getting ready for another busy day. Gaige and Erick were on the roof of the HQ spending some quality time together. Maya and Axton were at Marcus Munitions' checking if the latest supply of weapons had finally arrived. Ari was at Scooter's workshop, looking for any spare computer parts she could use to upgrade the hardware. Zero was making some breakfast in the kitchen. Tannis was locked away in her lab doing strange experiments. Montayva was in the women's bunk taking care of a still recovering Lilith, fresh off her hangover. Mordecai, Murphy, and A.N.N were in the lobby doing their own thing. Mordecai was adjusting one of the scopes on his old sniper rifle, A.N.N was back inside Murphy's helmet which was sitting on the desk next to the Enforcer, and Murphy was making some strange concoction using some eggs and chili peppers. The Hunter averted his attention from his current activity and gave Murphy a confused look.

"What in god's name are you making over there?" Mordecai asked. Murphy broke the eggs and poured the yolk into a glass cup. He chopped the peppers into little diced pieces and sprinkled them into the cup.

"The universal cure for hangovers" A.N.N answered through the speakers in Murphy's helmet.

"I thought you couldn't get drunk?" Mordecai asked, scratching his beard.

"It's not for me, it's for Lilith" Murphy replied "An old partner of mine used to binge drink back in my rookie years in the force. He used to make this grog to cure himself of hangovers. He gave it some weird name in another language I never understood. I just called it the Wake-Up Call."

"Does it work?" at that moment, Mordecai and Murphy heard two distinct footsteps coming from the stairs. When the men turned around, they saw Montayva and Lilith. Lilith's red hair was all over the place and she still looked a bit peakish. She was paler than normal and she had a glazed look in her eyes. She was holding her head as she suffered from a headache, one of the effects of a hangover.

"You'll find out soon enough" Murphy answered. He stood up and handed Lilith the strange drink. Lilith had a curious look on her as she wondered what the strange drink was.

"Murphy, what is this stuff" she asked with a bewildered look on her face "It better not be booze."

"Relax, it's your Wake-Up Call madam" Murphy said politely. Lilith looked at the odd concoction for a couple of seconds before downing it in one gulp. Her expression changed as she tasted the horrid drink. She dropped the cup as the drink soured her taste buds. Murphy caught the cup before it landed on the ground.

"Ulg! What are you trying to do, poison me?" Lilith yelled in disgust.

"That wasn't my intention at all, I was trying to help" Murphy said, trying to calm the Siren down "How are you feeling?" Lilith noticed that her headache was dissipating. Slowly, her stomach began settling down, some color returned in her cheeks and she had regained her balance. The concoction was curing the Siren's hangover as it ran its course.

"I actually feel better. What was that stuff?" Lilith asked. Before Murphy could answer her question; Zero came rushing through the kitchen with a large stack of flapjacks fresh off the pan.

"Breakfast is ready/Who wants to try my flapjacks?/Perhaps you Lilith" Zero said, oddly with an enthusiastic tone. Lilith said yes surprisingly. She was consumed with hunger as she took a whiff of the delicious meal. Murphy, Montayva and Mordecai laughed as Lilith started woofing down flapjacks one by one.

"You're really going to eat all of those even after your late night binge?" Mordecai said, poking fun of the Siren.

"Piss off!" Lilith snapped with her mouth full as she was not in the mood to hear the Hunter's jokes. Mordecai backed off and returned to adjusting the scope.

"Where would a master assassin learn to make breakfast?" Murphy asked. Zero remained silent, as he usually did when someone asked him a question. Although he was a great asset to the Vault Hunters, Zero was a mysterious one who tended to keep to himself. No one knew of the Assassin's past or even what he looks like under the mask which would normally bring in to question his allegiance. Time and time again however, his loyalty to his friends and his skills in combat has earned him the trust of The Vault Hunters.

"Don't bother asking. You won't get an answer" Montayva said. She was also curious of who Zero was the first time she met him. Even with her mood reading powers, she could never get a clear read from Zero. No matter how hard she tried, she never knew what the Assassin was thinking or what he felt. She eventually got used to the mystery surrounding him and dropped the subject entirely.

"Odd one, isn't he?" Murphy exclaimed.

"Maya told you he was a character" Montayva retorted. Lilith finished her breakfast and let out a sigh of satisfaction as she patted her stomach.

"That feels so much better" Lilith shouted. Eventually, Axton and Maya returned from their trip to Marcus Munitions' with news of the shipment.

"Hey Axton, any news on the shipment Marcus promised? We were supposed to have those guns by now" Mordecai asked. The Commando had a disappointed look on his face. Mordecai knew he had some bad news to tell.

"Well, I got good news and bad news, which one do you want to hear first?" Axton grunted.

"Let's hear the bad news first" A.N.N said.

"Well the bad news is that the guns have been stolen by a Hyperion unit right outside of Liar's Berg" Maya said "They're stationed near the old Ripper camp causing trouble in the area."

"Shit, we needed those guns too. We're low on ammo and weapons as it is. Without them, we won't stand a chance against those Hyperion bastards" Mordecai said, cursing Hyperion with great loathing.

"And the good news?" Murphy continued, trying to bring focus back on the news the pair brought.

"We learned from Marcus that Hyperion is planning something big in Lynchwood" Maya said.

"They're looking for something deep in the old mines but we don't know what it is" Axton added.

"So what's the play, Lilith" Murphy asked, wondering what their next course of action should be.

"First things first, we need to get to Liar's Berg and find those guns. We're sitting ducks until we do" Lilith said, the Vault Hunters agreed with the exception of Axton.

"Yeah, but we can't just ignore what Hyperion's been digging up back in Lynchwood. It could be something huge" Axton argued "We may be able to use whatever it is to stop Johnson. Maybe delay his planned attack for Sanctuary and whatever he has in store for Freedom City." Both Lilith and Axton had brought up strong points, on one hand they needed the weapons to keep battling the Hyperion troops but on the other hand they couldn't pass up the opportunity of finding something useful in Lynchwood. Murphy decided to speak his mind and throw his opinion into the conversation.

"Why not go after both?" Murphy said. The Vault Hunters turned to the Enforcer to hear what he had in mind.

"What's your plan, killer?" Lilith asked softly, interested in hearing Murphy out.

"This is the plan" the Vault Hunters approached the Enforcer as he began his speech "We'll split into two teams of three. One group goes after the gun shipment near Liar's Berg, we'll wait until night has fallen and we'll strike when they're vulnerable. We'll need snipers to take out the soldiers from afar, making it easier to reach the weapons. The other team heads to Lynchwood to scout the area and make an encampment near the site. They'll gather intel on the region and report anything that may prove useful back to HQ through the Echo. Once we have the weapons and gathered the appropriate intel, we'll regroup back here to plan our next move. Everyone in agreement?" The Vault Hunters agreed unanimously that Murphy's plan was the best course of action. Mordecai stood up with his rifle in hand, ready to speak his mind.

"I'll lead the raiding team in Liar's Berg. I'm the best shot here and I know a perfect sniping position right above the old Ripper camp" Mordecai boasted. Montayva had a distressed look on her face. The last time Mordecai was near the Southern Shelf, he was nearly killed by Duraph's troops during a coordinated attack on his reinforcements.

"If you plan on going to the shelf, then take me with you" Murphy demanded, ready to help the Vault Hunters.

"You a good shot?" Mordecai asked.

"You're looking at the best shot in the police force" A.N.N boasted, showing her faith in her old partner's aim "if you want to get the job done right, you'll need his skill." Mordecai remembered how accurate Murphy was against the bandit hordes back in the Underdome and agreed with A.N.N's words.

"Alright then, I'll take Murphy and Erick with me to the Shelf. Between the three of us, those bastards won't stand a chance" Mordecai said with energy in his voice. Murphy became hesitant at first when he heard he had to team up with the Brother but he threw his pride to the wayside and agreed with Mordecai's decision. Montayva grew more worried about the situation knowing Murphy and Erick would accompany the father of her child into battle. The two men had not settled their differences yet which Montayva believed would put Mordecai in grave danger.

"I'll take the scouting team to Lynchwood. Zero and Maya will accompany me to that old shithole" Axton said "We'll report anything we find back to HQ." Maya and Zero agreed with the Commando taking charge of the scouting team. Zero grabbed his sword from the kitchen counter while Maya grabbed her old Greed revolver from her holster. "See you on the flipside" Axton threw his signature peace sign up in the air as he waved goodbye to his friends. Zero and Maya followed the Commando outside of the HQ as they traveled to Lynchwood. Lilith gave an impatient look toward Murphy and Mordecai, believing that she was seen as a burden toward the mission because they chose to bring Erick instead of her.

"If you're going to that frigid wasteland then I'm coming with you" Lilith said in frustration. She pulled out her pistol from her holster but she fumbled it as the grip slipped from her hands. Although she was better, Lilith was still in no condition to fight alongside the others.

"Take it easy, Lilith" Murphy said, gently holding the Siren's hand while giving a worried look toward her. "As much as we need your talents, you and I both know you're in no condition to help us. We need you at your best if we plan on killing Johnson. Wait here and get some rest, okay?" Murphy begged as he did not want to see harm come to the siren. Lilith knew he was right about her being in terrible shape. She became upset, feeling completely useless to the mission. She looked into Murphy's eyes and nodded.

"Just come back alive" Lilith asked, tightly grasping Murphy's hands. Murphy smiled confidently as he nodded toward the Siren, solidifying his promise of coming back alive. Mordecai saw the distressed look on Montayva's face as he turned toward her.

"Hey guy's, I need some alone time to prepare" Mordecai said. Lilith and Murphy respected the Hunter's wishes and left him alone with Montayva.

"I'll get some rest, make'em pay guys" Lilith said while smiling. She slowly released her grip on Murphy's hands and walked back to bed.

"I'll get the kid, we'll meet down here when you're ready" Murphy said begrudgingly. He grabbed his helmet with A.N.N inside and wore it over his head. His visor lit up as the locks on the helmet activated. He marched up the stairs to get Erick for his mission. Montayva slowly approached Mordecai and wrapped her arms around his waist. Mordecai returned the affection by wrapping his arms around Montayva. He removed his goggles and looked into her eyes with his own.

"I don't want you to go" Montayva said, her grip around Mordecai growing tighter "The last time you were in the shelf, you almost died. I can't bear the thought of losing you" tears ran down Montayva's cheeks as the painful memories of Mordecai's near death experience began to cloud her thoughts. Mordecai wiped the tears from her eyes and placed his hands around her cheeks. Mordecai pulled Montayva in closer and gave her a passionate kiss to the lips. Her arms wrapped around his head as she lost herself in the moment. Mordecai traced his hands around her hips.

"I'll come back to you, my Siren. I promise" Mordecai released his hold of her, placed his goggles over his eyes, and went up the stairs to prepare for his journey.

"May you come back home safely, my Hunter" Montayva whispered to herself, clasping her hands together and lifting them in front of her face. For a moment, it looked as if she was praying for Mordecai's safe return.

Back on the roof, Gaige and Erick were continuing their teen angst as they were kissing one another. Erick's robotic arm was wrapped around Gaige's hips while Gaige grasped Erick's other hand with hers. Erick had his bag of weapon's sitting on the balcony just in case he was needed for something, but for the moment he didn't care about anything and he just wanted to be with Gaige.

"Yo, Romeo" said a familiar voice. Suddenly, the two broke up what they were doing and moved away from each other immediately, their faces turned bright red with embarrassment. When they turned toward the direction of the booming voice, they saw Murphy standing on the balcony holding his Vintage Cobra over his shoulder.

"Uh, how long have you been standing there" Gaige asked nervously scratching her robotic arm.

"I just got here" Murphy was completely oblivious to what was going on "We got a mission in Liar's Berg, Erick. Load up and meet me down here. Mordecai is waiting for us in the lobby." Murphy noticed the red on their faces and wondered what he'd missed. "I'm not interrupting something important, am I?"

"Yeah, I mean no, uh, just give me a second" Erick said, fumbling with his words. He waved goodbye to Gaige and jumped down toward the Balcony, landing on his feet. He stood next to the Enforcer "So Murph, what's the mission?"

"We lost a shipment of guns near Liar's Berg. We need your unique talents to help us get them back" Murphy said through his teeth, obviously holding a grudge with Erick. "You got a rifle?" Murphy asked. Erick picked up his bag sitting on the balcony and pulled out an odd looking sniper rifle from his bag, not before seen by the Enforcer. It was a powerful sniper rifle created on Earth, a distant planet in the Milky Way. Erick called his rifle the Melon Popper.

"Yeah I do, let's get a move on" Erick said impatiently. They walked back to the lobby and met up with Mordecai. Junior was perched on Mordecai's shoulder and Montayva was holding Mordecai's hand. Mordecai said goodbye to his love, released her hand, and walked ahead toward the Fast Travel. Erick soon followed afterwards while Murphy stayed behind, noticing the look of despair on her face. He could tell she was worried for Mordecai's safety.

"Don't worry, I'll bring him back in one piece" Murphy assured. He began pounding his fist on his chest, This gesture wasn't just bravado, it stood as Eden-5's sign of victory back in his early years in the force. Montayva could sense his confidence and determination which filled her with hope. She smiled slightly at the Enforcer, believing he would keep his word. Murphy walked out of the HQ and joined his fellow snipers on their journey to Liar's Berg.


	22. Chapter 21-Sniper Killers

The three snipers were stationed near an old Sniper's nest right above the Hyperion Encampment, It had been about a week since they left Sanctuary. Murphy was on watch, kneeling down on the snow while scouting the area with his sniper scope. A.N.N was inside the Enforcer's helmet, scanning the area for heat signatures while Mordecai, Junior, and Erick were huddled near a camp fire. It was pitch-black in the Shelf, the clouds covered the night sky and snow flurries drifted onto the ground. Far in the distance however, the Town of Liar's Berg was lit up bright as a Christmas tree. The town was filled with much hustle and bustle as traders from across Pandora sold their goods to the townsfolk. Liar's Berg was one of the first settlements to fully recover after Handsome Jack's death. Citizens soon began to rebuild the abandoned town and turned it into a central trading hub for travelers to come and go as they pleased, whether it was to trade goods or have a place to stay for the night. If Johnson has his way however, this thriving settlement could be reduced to a pile of ashes. The Vault Hunters were determined to stop that from happening.

"T-t-t-t-this sucks" Erick shivered, crouching near the camp fire "H-h-how come we get stuck with checking this frozen s-s-s-s-shit berg?"

"Come on, a little cold will do you some good. It builds character" Murphy chuckled, laughing at the Brother's miserable state.

"Easy for you to say, we're not immune to the elements like you are" Mordecai stammered, cold vapor came out of his mouth with every word he spoke "Give me hot sun and desert sand any day." Although they were wearing winterized gear, Mordecai and Erick still felt the effects of the chilly winds blowing against them. The cold air chilled them to the bone. Murphy was immune to the cold due to his Nanite suit being built to withstand the elements. Aside from Murphy, Junior seemed able to handle the cold weather rather well, unlike his master, as he remained quiet and vigilant.

"Hey, you were the one who volunteered us for this mission. You shouldn't be complaining" Murphy shot back over his shoulder "I don't see Junior whining about a little wind chill, maybe you two could learn something from him." Erick scoffed at Murphy's insult, paying no mind to it. Mordecai walked away from the fire and sat with the Enforcer, rifle in hand and Junior perched on his shoulder.

"It's been three hours, any changes yet?" Mordecai asked. The Hunter tried his best to hide it but Murphy could tell he was eager to see some action.

"A.N.N, tell the man" Murphy continued to focus his rifle toward the old encampment. A.N.N gave Mordecai the report on the area.

"I'm detecting a large concentration of Hyperion troops gathering in the center of the encampment. Murphy spotted a couple of crates and chests near their vicinity as well. From what he can tell, he believes that's where the weapon's shipment is."

"Sounds promising" Mordecai lifted his old Slag Sloth Sniper to get a bird's eye view of the area "We should be able to pick off the guards from here. After we've cleared the area, we'll swoop in and retrieve our guns. Like taking candy from a baby" Mordecai smirked. The Hunter let out a sigh of stress as his confidence was replaced with fear.

"You ok?" Murphy could tell Mordecai was nervous from the way his expression changed.

"Last time I was here, I almost bit the big one" Mordecai was referring his mission in the Shelf from over a year ago. He was nearly killed when a Rocket Launcher almost landed a direct hit on him. He barely survived the near death experience and suffered from hyperthermia after the blast buried him deep in the snow.

"We'll make it through this" Murphy patted the Mordecai in the back. Murphy's assurance instilled confidence in the Hunter. A.N.N broke up the conversation when she detected more heat signatures inside of the camp's small huts.

"Bad news fellas, this isn't going be the easy bag and grab we thought it would be. I'm detecting more troops inside of the buildings and some Loaders guarding the outer region."

"Damn it" Mordecai cursed "We'll have to come up with a better plan. We can't pick off the reinforcements from here, their out of our range."

"A straight up frontal assault would be suicide. And if we fire our weapons into that crowd, The Loaders would find us and surround our post" Murphy added "We could try luring them to the center somehow." He pointed his finger toward a perfect area for them to snipe the troops "We're gonna need one hell of a decoy though."

"I'll do it" Erick volunteered, overhearing their plan "I'll put on a little light show for our guests. That should draw them in." He walked away from the warm fire and sat next to the older snipers.

"No offence kid, but this isn't a game here, it's do or die" Murphy lectured. Even with his powers, Murphy didn't place his faith in Erick. Mordecai however has seen the Brother in action and knew he could handle himself in a firefight.

"What's your plan kid?" Mordecai asked. Erick began tracing his finger in the snow, making a makeshift map of the area. He started drawing X's and arrows in the map to show Murphy and Mordecai what he had in mind.

"Here's how it works. I'll sneak in from the back of the encampment and enter the kill box Murph pointed towards. I'll start making some noise and draw in all the guards. When I give the signal, you two snipe the soldiers while I fry the incoming Loaders. After the area's been cleared, we'll head to the crates and retrieve the guns." Murphy was skeptical of this plan but he agreed with Erick that it was the best course of action. The two older men nodded, showing their full commitment to Erick's plan.

"Stay safe kid" Mordecai wished the young Vault Hunter luck.

"Just remember to shoot the soldiers" Erick asked, joking with Mordecai. However, he glared at Murphy, knowing he still had issues with the Brother.

"I'll try my best" Murphy huffed, promising he wouldn't shoot Erick although the prospect was tempting.

"Don't worry Erick, he won't shoot you" A.N.N assured.

"Here you go Mordy, just in case things get a little too hot for me to handle" Erick passed his Melon Popper toward Mordecai as he trusted him with his life. Mordecai gave a confident smile, showing Erick he was ready for action. Erick slid down the hill and walked into the encampment completely unnoticed. Murphy and Mordecai were lying down on their bellies, peering vigilantly through their rifle scopes. Once Erick had made it to the center of the camp, he began to make a commotion to draw in the raiding party.

"Gentlemen, may I have your attention please" Erick shouted at the top of his lungs so the whole camp could hear him. Eventually, the Loaders and Soldiers began marching toward the origin of the noise, pointing their guns at Erick.

"This is a restricted area, leave now or we will open fire!" yelled one of the soldiers.

"At ease gentlemen, I'm a representative of the Galactic Trade Federation" Erick said with an odd mannerly tone "I am here because your men have been disrupting a great deal of our business in the area. We know you stole a large shipment of weapons we've sent to this planet, which goes against article 33, section 2.9 of the fair trade agreement. Our buyers are greatly displeased and have asked us to come to this horrid place to resolve the situation. Please return them at once or suffer the consequences of your actions." The men broke out in laughter as they ignored his warnings. Murphy overheard Erick's lie through his Echo and slammed his hand onto the facemask of his helmet.

"You got to be shitting me! What does he think he's doing? This is no time to play pretend" Murphy yelled.

"Relax amigo, he knows what he's doing" Mordecai assured. The soldiers' fit of laughter subsided and they refocused their weapons on Erick.

"Yeah, who's gonna make us?" the soldier demanded. Erick had a sly smile on his face. He lifted his hand and pointed his thumb over his shoulder toward the hillside.

"They are" Erick gave the snipers the signal and they opened fire into the crowd. Erick digistructed three claws between the spaces in his robotic hand's knuckles and stabbed the commanding officer through the dome. He moved his claws in an upward motion, ripping the man's head off with his spine still attached to his severed neck. He then widened his stance and lightning surged through his body as the marks on his right arm glowed blue. He threw multiple lightning bolts from his hands, frying half of the Loaders.

Mordecai fired the Melon Popper toward five Hyperion troops standing in a row behind Erick. The bullet passed through the skull of one of the soldiers and traveled into the others' skulls, killing them instantly. Murphy fired his Vintage Cobra into large crowds of Hyperion troops. The explosive round made contact with the troops, turning them into red paste as the round created a small explosion.

"Get'em boy!" Mordecai ordered his bird to attack the troops. Junior dive bombed into the crowd, screeching down toward the fray. The bird clawed out the eyes of the troops and ripped out their throats with his razor sharp beak.

War Loaders began swarming Erick, firing their laser cannons at him. Erick disappeared however in a flash of purple light. The Loaders lost visual contact of their target until he reappeared behind them.

"Looking for me, tin heads" Erick fired a large ball of white-hot plasma fire from his hand and melted the Loaders with ease.

"Boom baby!" Murphy shouted as he fired another explosive round into the crowd. Mordecai would not be outdone however as he fired a trick shot into a nearby rock formation. The bullet bounced off the rock into the last remaining Hyperion troops near the area.

"Am I good, or am I good?" Mordecai bragged. Only one trooper was left standing in the battlefield. He charged Erick with his rifle in hand. Erick prepared to decapitate the soldier but before he had the chance, Murphy blew the soldier to bits from a distance. His blood stained the white snow in front of Erick's feet. Erick turned back to the hill and shot a furious glare at Murphy, feeling that he was robbed of his kill.

"What the hell Murph, I had him!" Erick shouted through his Echo device.

"You're welcome" Murphy said "A.N.N, is the area clear?"

"Hostiles down Murphy, we're clear to move ahead." Mordecai and Murphy slid down the hill and joined Erick in the encampment. Mordecai whistled his bird to return and he perched back onto his master's outstretched forearm.

"Who's a good boy" Mordecai was happy as a skag in slag as he began scratching Junior's neck and kissing his beak, showing he was proud of his pet. Murphy thought the moment the two had was cute but the fact Junior was covered in entrails made him somewhat uncomfortable. Erick marched toward Murphy and gave him a shove as he was still peeved at Murphy for showing him up.

"Why did you shoot him Murph, I could have handled it myself!" Erick shouted.

"Settle down Ace, I was just lending a hand" Murphy said defensively.

"Ace?" Erick gave Murphy a look of annoyance, not taking a liking to the nickname.

"What, I can't have a nickname for you?" Murphy retaliated "Let's just get those guns and head back home." Erick stopped Murphy and stood in his way. The Enforcer knew Erick had no intention of letting him pass.

"Answer my question _Murph_, why did you take the shot when you knew I could have handled it. And don't bullshit me with that 'lending a hand' excuse either" Erick demanded. Lightning surged through Erick's eyes as he was in no mood for Murphy's games.

"If you wanna go _Ace_, then go ahead" Murphy shouted, daring him to fight. Murphy clenched his fist, ready to strike Erick down with a vicious right hook.

"Fine by me, I'll kick your ass again, just like I did back at Sanctuary!"

"You got lucky last time, let's see you try that while you're facing me!" Their frustration finally reached its boiling point as Erick threw a Haymaker at Murphy. Before he could land the shot, Mordecai got between the two and caught his fist with his palm.

"Knock it off you two" A.N.N shouted "We're supposed to be a team here. You can't let your emotions control your actions."

"She's right" Mordecai added "much as I'd like to see you ladies go toe to toe, we've got more important things to deal with. Now settle down, shut up, and grab the gear." Murphy and Erick listened to the pleas of their allies and settled down. The lightning from Erick's eyes dissipated while Murphy unclenched his fist. Unbeknownst to the Vault Hunters, a Hyperion survivor hid under the snow, waiting for his moment to strike. He aimed a rocket launcher directly at Erick, ready to avenge his fallen comrades. Murphy noticed the targeting laser from the rocket launcher as it tagged Erick on his shoulder. Mordecai and Erick hadn't noticed the laser as they focused their attention towards each other. In a quick instant, Murphy reacted as the soldier squeezed the trigger and fired the projectile.

"Get down now!" Murphy pushed Mordecai and Erick away from the rocket's trajectory, landing flat on their backs, Junior flew off of Mordecai's arm the minute Murphy pushed his master. The explosive landed near Murphy and detonated when it made contact, snow and ice flew up into the air.

"Murphy!" Mordecai shouted. Erick noticed the smoke trail from the rocket. His eyes followed it toward its origin point and saw the soldier. He fired a bolt of lightning and fried him in an instant. After the goon was dealt with, they turned back toward the area where Murphy was standing. As the frozen dust settled, they saw a large smoldering crater in his place. Murphy's body was nowhere to be seen. The two feared the worst, believing they had lost their ally as he sacrificed his own life for their own sakes.

"Murph, A.N.N, where are you?" Erick shouted. There was no response, the only thing they heard was the sound of the cold winds whistling in the distance. Hopelessness consumed their hearts as they believed Murphy had passed on to the next world.


	23. Chapter 22-Gravediggers

"Murph, A.N.N, can you hear me? Where are you?" Erick shouted. The two Vault Hunters were searching the vicinity of the explosion to see if they could find their friend and savior. Erick was running around the camp, yelling toward the sky to see if Murphy or A.N.N would respond to his calls. Mordecai was standing inside the smoldering crater to try his luck in the search for Murphy and A.N.N. He rapidly shoveled an arm full of snow, digging for the Enforcer's body. Junior was flying around the camp to see if he could find Murphy.

"Mordy, did you find them yet?" Erick asked, surprisingly worried for Murphy's condition.

"They're not here!" Mordecai shouted. Junior perched himself on his master's shoulder after he finished searching "Do you know where they are, boy?" Junior had a saddened expression in his eyes. The bird answered Mordecai and shook his head.

"Did you try the Echo yet?" Erick wondered.

"I've tried that already. I'm not picking up their signal" Mordecai responded.

"Oh god, you don't think they're dead?" Erick asked.

"I don't like their chances Erick, that rocket landed a direct hit on'em" Mordecai said sadly "I think it might have…vaporized them."

"Son of a bitch!" Erick slammed his fist on the icy ground, he had a difficult time with coming to terms with Murphy's demise. Although they may have had their differences, Erick respected Murphy as a soldier and as a fellow Vault Hunter. Suddenly, a pang of guilt began to way heavy on Erick's shoulders, Murphy had sacrificed himself for his own sake even though he appeared to loathe the Brother. A thought crept into the back of his mind, he began to wonder if it was his fault that Murphy was gone. Maybe if he wasn't so hot blooded, Murphy might be standing here with them. Erick knelt on the snowy ground as he slowly came to the realization that he was gone.

"I'm sorry, amigo. I know you two had your differences with one another but I knew you two respected each other" Mordecai placed his hand gently on Erick's shoulder, trying to ease guilt. "We'll mourn for them once we've reached Sanctuary. Right now, we got a job to finish" Mordecai tried to remind Erick of the reason they came to the Shelf originally. He thought that focusing on the mission might help ease their minds off of Murphy's death.

"You go on ahead, I'll be with you in a second" Erick explained.

"Sure man, I'll be near the shipment when you need me" Mordecai knew what Erick felt as he felt the same as well. He thought about how he was going to explain this to his fellow Vault Hunters back at Sanctuary. He contemplated Lilith's reaction to the news as he knew they had become somewhat close in their short time together. Mordecai walked away from Erick and marched toward the crates. A storm was brewing in the horizon, the winds became more violent and more snow began falling on the ground, Erick could sense the storm was going to get much worse. He knew he couldn't waste time sulking all night, he stood up and wiped the snow off of his pant legs. He slowly began walking toward the crates until he noticed something odd near the right side of the crater. Steam was emitting from a small circular area in the ground and snow was beginning to melt. Erick knew there were no geysers or small volcanos near the area and it couldn't have been the weather for it was way too cold outside. The rocket didn't even make any form of contact with the region. The spot slowly turned from pure white to bright orange and the snow melted in a much faster pace.

"Mordecai, I think I found something!" he shouted. Mordecai turned around after Erick called him and saw him rush toward the area of interest. Mordecai gave chase and followed the Brother. They had finally reached the area and began frantically digging. As they continued to dig, they saw a metal hand glowing bright orange, it was Murphy's hand. After a while, it returned to its natural black color, the two began to think the worst.

"Come on, we gotta dig faster" Mordecai urged. After several minutes of digging, they had found Murphy, half buried in the snow. Murphy was still intact and appeared unconscious.

"Murph, Can you hear me? Come on man, get up!" Erick was ready to slap Murphy upside his helmet to knock him back into consciousness. Murphy's hand blocked the Brother's attempts to awaken him. The Enforcer was very much alive.

"Hey guys, what I miss?" Murphy said casually. Both men let out a sigh of relief when they heard Murphy speak "You two okay?" Murphy asked, showing more concern for their safety than his own.

"Crazy bastard! We're fine, worry about yourself for a change" Mordecai shouted with a huge grin on his face "We thought you were a goner. Is A.N.N okay?"

"Still kicking" A.N.N answered through the helmet's speakers.

"How did you survive the explosion? That Hyperion asshole landed a perfect shot on you" Erick wondered. Murphy pulled his right arm out from under the snow, revealing his Riot Shield to them. Murphy had digistructed it in the nick of time before the rocket made contact and blocked the explosive projectile. The shield returned into the confines of his armor as the timer ran out "Thank god you have that shield of yours. If it wasn't for that, you'd be charcoal right about now" Murphy was puzzled at how much Erick was glad to see him alive. He never imagined how much the Brother cared for his safety.

"Glad to see you both alive and kicking. If you have the time, would you kindly help me up? I'm having some trouble getting out of the snow" Murphy said politely. Erick and Mordecai swept the snow off of Murphy and grabbed one hand each. They helped the Enforcer back onto his feet and helped dust the snow off of his shoulders using their free hands.

"You okay man? You took one hell of a shot" Mordecai asked, concerned for his condition. Murphy checked to see if he still had all his appendages as he looked at his hands and his legs. Murphy nodded toward Mordecai to verify he was alright. Junior started squawking with joy to see Murphy alive. He jumped off of Mordecai's shoulder and perched himself on Murphy's.

"Glad to see you in one piece too, my friend" Murphy began to gently pat his hand over Junior's head. The bird flew off Murphy's shoulder and returned to Mordecai's "Let's finish up, the storm is picking up and I know you two don't want to spend another night here" Murphy walked toward the shipment of guns, acting like nothing had happened. Mordecai and Erick looked at each other with amazement at how Murphy could just shrug off a rocket blast. The two just shrugged and walked with the Enforcer to their lost shipment. When they arrived, they saw a vast amount of loot chests and ammo crates in the encampment.

"Marcus really came through for us this time" Erick said gratefully "How do we move all these to Sanctuary? I'd rather not make multiple trips back and forth from here to the city." Something caught Murphy's attention from the corner of his eye. He walked away from Mordecai for a minute to investigate the area.

"That's how" Murphy yelled. Mordecai and Erick turned toward Murphy and saw a large metal container with enough space to store all of their assorted loot and an old beat-up Hyperion Cargo ship sitting on a makeshift landing pad.

"Is she flyable?" Mordecai asked. Erick jumped on top of the vehicle to inspect the rotors and the hydraulics, Murphy lifted the hood to see if the engine was still working. Both men were pleased to say the old bird could still fly. Erick jumped in through the open window on the side door by hanging off the edge of the plane and swinging his momentum forward. Erick landed perfectly into the seat and began take-off procedures.

"Do you know how to fly this thing, Ace?" Murphy asked Erick. The Brother shot Murphy an annoyed look.

"Are you gonna to keep calling me Ace, Murph?" Erick snapped.

"Are you going to keep calling me Murph?" Murphy shouted back. Erick thought for a second about the name. Ace had a nice ring to it he thought, Murphy started feeling the same about the name Erick gave him. Erick and Murphy dropped the subject entirely and refocused on the plane

"I know how to fly this old thing but I don't know how to turn it on. I could try hardwiring it but it might take me a while." Erick began to check the air craft to understand how to activate it.

"I have a better suggestion" A.N.N said. Murphy knew exactly what she was thinking and extracted her from his helmet, passing her to the Brother "See that old computer panel, there's a small slot for VI's to manually control the plane. Plug me in and its smooth sailing from here on out" A.N.N instructed. Erick forced A.N.N into the slot like she had ordered. She integrated with the ship's systems and slowly activated them. The dashboard lit up green and the engine purred like brand new. The rotors on the wings and the tail of the vehicle slowly began churning again, snow flew into the air near the surrounding area. The fuel gauge's needle hit the giant F showing the plane had a full tank of gas.

"Guess this bad boy is ready to go" Mordecai said "And it looks like a good night for flying too." As Mordecai predicted, the storm had dissipated greatly after the plane was reactivated. The sky was clear as the stars and the moon lit up the sky. It had ceased snowing near the shelf and the wind had calmed down.

"Let's gather the stash and put it in the container. We'll chain it to the plane when we're ready" Murphy instructed. Mordecai and Murphy gathered the ammo crates and the loot chest near the container. One by one, they placed their loot into the container until they were finally finished. Murphy locked the container doors while Mordecai hooked it to the cargo ship with reinforced steel chains. Mordecai gave it a good tug to see if the chains were secured to their shipment. Mordecai gave Erick the thumbs up, signaling they were ready to go.

"Everything's in the green, guys. Hop on in and let's head for home" Erick said. He flipped the switches, turned the knobs, and readied himself for the flight. Mordecai walked toward the side of the door and handed Erick his sniper back.

"Sorry partner, I have to take care of a couple of things back in Liar's Berg. I'll use the fast travel to get back home" Mordecai said.

"What about you Murphy, you coming?" A.N.N asked.

"I think I'll stick with Mordecai for a while" Murphy said "Head back to HQ and decrypt those files. The sooner we know what Johnson's planning, the better."

"Ok Murphy, I'll see you when you make it back" A.N.N said, understanding why he decided to stay with Mordecai.

"Suit yourself" Erick shrugged "I'll radio ahead to let them know I'm coming with the shipment. Stay safe." The plane took off, carting the metal container back to Sanctuary. Murphy and Mordecai waved farewell to Erick and A.N.N as they disappeared into the night sky.

"Why are we going to Liar's Berg?" Murphy asked.

"I gotta pick up some things before heading back home. I would have done it earlier but we needed to focus on getting the guns first. Why did you decide to stick around?" Mordecai turned toward Murphy and raised his eyebrow "You should have gone back with Erick. You need rest after what you've been through."

"I'll walk it off. Besides, I need the exercise to get my blood flowing again" Murphy joked. Mordecai knew there was another reason he stayed behind.

"There's something you ain't telling me, why did you really stay behind?" Mordecai demanded.

"I made a promise to Montayva that I would bring you back in one piece. Imagine how I'd look if I came back without you?" Murphy was always a man of his word. When he made a promise, he intended on keeping it no matter what. Mordecai just smiled, he understood why Montayva would worry for his safety after the incident from over a year ago. He walked toward Liar's Berg with Murphy following suit.

"Okay Murphy, let's head to the berg. Try not to scare the locals, alright?" Mordecai joked, obviously taking a jab at Murphy's robotic appearance.

"No promises" Murphy chuckled.


	24. Chapter 23-Home Sweet Home

It was early in the morning and the sun was peaking over the horizon. The darkness which blanketed Liar's Berg was replaced with bright light. Murphy, Mordecai, and Junior were in the barter town to conduct some business in one of the general stores. Mordecai was inside the small building bartering with the owner while Murphy remained outside, arms crossed and leaning his back against the wall next to the entrance. Junior was perched on Murphy's shoulder, the reason being the store had a 'no pet's allowed' policy. Oddly enough, the townspeople paid no mind to the Enforcer's presence in town. Some traders even approached him and offered spare robotic parts which Murphy refused every time. Junior began squawking out of boredom and exhaustion, still a bit fatigued after today's events.

"I know, I know. My patience is starting to wear thin too" Murphy scratched the bird's neck, waiting for Mordecai's return. After a couple of minutes, Mordecai walked out of the store holding a bag of baby formula in one hand and a 12 pack of bottled sodas in the other. Mordecai turned to the right of the entrance and met up with Murphy.

"I appreciate you staying and watching my bird Murphy" Mordecai said gladly "I almost forgot the owner didn't allow pets in the building. Junior cause you any problems while I was away?"

"Nah, he was pretty tame. I actually enjoyed his company" Murphy said. The Bird flew off and perched himself on his master's shoulder. Mordecai saw the exhaustion in Junior's eyes and knew he needed some sleep.

"I know your tired boy. We'll get some rest when we reach Sanctuary" Mordecai yawned. He removed his goggles for a minute to rub the exhaustion from his eyes "The Fast Travel should be close by. Let's head home and see if there's any news on Lynchwood or the files." The two began walking to the station after their business was finished. Murphy turned his head to face the Hunter. He spoke first to ask the purpose of their visit.

"Mordecai, why did you stop here to buy sodas and baby formula? You could have bought all this back at Sanctuary" Murphy inquired.

"Liar's Berg sells the best soft drinks on the planet. And their baby formula has more of the required vitamins and minerals a growing baby needs" Mordecai answered

"Guess you had an ulterior motive for coming to the Berg?"

"Spose so" Murphy knew how much Mordecai hated the Berg after what he went through and was very impressed of how he was willing to place his fear on hold for the health of his child.

"You're a good dad, that's pretty rare on a planet like this" Murphy said. Mordecai appreciated Murphy's complement. He began to remember what he was like before he met Montayva and had a child. What an asshole he used to be he thought. It was hard to believe how much he changed over the past couple of years.

"I may not be the best father but I try to be" Mordecai said.

"You might want to lay off the drinks. You're going to get a kidney stone if you keep drinking at this pace" Murphy warned.

"Ha! You sound just like Monty. Back then, she was worried I'd get liver failure from all the rakk-ale I used to drink. Now it's 'stop drinking this sugary crap or you're gonna lose a kidney'. You just can't please women" Mordecai joked but he meant it in a good way.

"I never pictured you as the drinking type" Murphy found it hard to believe someone like Mordecai would ever be addicted to alcohol.

"If you met me a few years back, you wouldn't think so" Mordecai paused for a minute to explain to Murphy what he was like before "I used to be one angry son of a bitch. Always complaining, putting my friends down with my bad attitude, drinking myself into a coma, never thinking for a second about how my actions would affect everyone. Guess it took Monty to finally help me realize what a complete dick I've been." Murphy could relate to Mordecai in a way. Murphy had been distant from everyone ever since his memories returned to him, never considering how it might affect A.N.N or others. Knowing how Mordecai could change for the better instilled some hope in him. Maybe I could change and find some semblance of peace he thought. Murphy decided to change the subject to talk about the shipment.

"You think Ace and A.N.N made it back with the shipment?" Murphy was of course asking about Erick who was charged with returning the shipment and his AI companion to Sanctuary.

"It's been a couple of hours, he's probably back at HQ catching some Z's. Something we should be doing right about now" Mordecai added.

"I could use a breather" Murphy said.

"You've earned it after saving my ass back there" Mordecai was still grateful to Murphy for putting his life on the line for his own. The two made it to the Fast Travel and returned to Sanctuary.

Meanwhile back at HQ, Erick had already returned and dropped the large shipment near the entrance. After he returned, he gave the ship to Scooter so he could disassemble it and use the parts to maintain the city's shield generator. A half hour later, Erick was moving the armaments into the secure weapon's vault upstairs, finally completing the chore after several minutes. A.N.N, Gaige, and Ari continued to decrypt the files inside of the central control room while Lilith and Montayva were in the lobby, eagerly waiting for the safe return of the others. Montayva was holding her baby in her arms, she was very worried for Mordecai. She held her baby close and prayed for Mordecai's safe return. Lilith sat next to the worried Siren and wrapped her arm around her shoulders.

"Try not to worry so much, he'll be back before you know it" Lilith said, trying to ease Montayva's worries.

"I just don't understand why he would stay behind? Why didn't he return home with Erick?" Montayva asked, her worries growing worse by the second.

"Erick said he needed to get a couple things back in Liar's Berg. Trust me kiddo, he's safe. And if something does go wrong, he's got Murphy to watch his back" Lilith noted. She gave a reassuring smile to Montayva but she was just as worried for Mordecai's safety, even more so for Murphy's. Montayva could sense Lilith's stress although she did her best to keep her emotions in check. Suddenly, Erick came rushing down the stairs to inform the Sirens of their arrival.

"Hey Lilith, Murph and Mordy just made it back to town. We should meet them at the entrance" Erick said. The two Sirens stood from the couch and ran outside with Erick following. They saw Murphy and Mordecai walking side by side, completely unharmed as they approached the HQ. Junior flew off of Mordecai's shoulder and perched himself on the HQ's roof to get some much needed rest. Montayva ran toward Mordecai and he embraced her in his arms. She unwrapped herself from his grasp and handed the baby to Mordecai. He gently cradled the baby in his arms and kissed her on the forehead.

"Hey girl, you miss me" Mordecai said, looking at the baby. The baby was laughing for joy at the sight of her father. She grabbed her father's goggles and ripped them off his face. She began to shake it around like a baby toy "Hey careful now, I'm gonna need those for later" Mordecai said playfully. He carefully grabbed his goggles from the baby and placed them back over his head.

"I'm glad to see you're alright" Montayva said softly "I was worried about you."

"I'm sorry Monty, but we needed those guns. I didn't want to worry you" Mordecai explained. Montayva understood why he needed to go but the only thing she cared about was that he was home safe and sound "I'm just glad Murphy was with us. Erick and I would be goners without him." Montayva averted her gaze toward the Enforcer. She smiled at Murphy.

"Thank you, you don't know how much he means to me" Montayva was very grateful to the Enforcer for keeping his word.

"Just doing my job, ma'am" Murphy said, nodding in appreciation as he accepted her gratitude.

"I almost forgot" Mordecai handed the baby back to Montayva and pulled out the baby formula from his backpack "You told me we were running low on the formula so I went to the Berg to pick some up."

"What would I do without you" Montayva smiled. Mordecai returned her kind words with a kiss on the cheek. Lilith and Erick approached Murphy to greet their newest member.

"How you holding up Murph?" Erick asked.

"A few aches and pains here and there but nothing I can't handle, how about you Ace?" Murphy said. He removed his helmet to breathe in the morning air and to feel the rising sun on his face.

"I'm still digging ice out of my shorts but I'll manage" Erick joked.

"Ace?" Lilith asked, giving Murphy a confused look as she wondered about the nickname.

"It's a long, crazy story. I'll explain it later" Murphy scratched his hair, trying to figure out how he was going to explain what happened back in the Southern Shelf.

"No kidding" Erick muttered. Montayva could sense that the two men were not as cross with one another unlike the first time they met. Their heated rivalry turned into mutual respect. The thought of those two making amends made Montayva happy. When those two truly learn how to work together as teammates, Hyperion won't stand a chance she thought.

"Hey Lilith, any news on Lynchwood or Johnson's files?" Mordecai asked.

"We haven't heard from the others in a while but we have some good news" Lilith said as her short fiery hair whipped back as she looked at Mordecai "A.N.N and the girls' finally decrypted the files" Excitement filled the air like a contagion the minute the older men heard the good news of Johnson's files finally being decrypted. Montayva walked forward to tell them the rest of the news.

"And that's not all, Brick and Salvador just radioed us through the Echo. They're coming back to Sanctuary" Montayva added. Murphy and Mordecai were glad to hear of the return of their fellow Vault Hunters in the fight against the Hyperion army.

"The band's getting back together boys" Lilith said cheerfully "Now let's suit up and get ready for the show" The Vault Hunters walked toward the HQ to begin planning for the next assault.


	25. Chapter 24-Against The Clock

The Vault Hunters were all in the top floor waiting to hear from the scouting party back in Lynchwood. The only ones who weren't present were Montayva and Mordecai as they were busy putting the baby back to sleep. The ones that were present were standing around a large table with a holographic projector in the middle of the room, displaying a map of Pandora. On the map were key locations and places of interest on Pandora. Murphy and Lilith stood in the far end of the table with Murphy's helmet sitting on the edge of the map, Ari and Gaige were standing on the right side of the table with A.N.N inside of the map's VI slot and Erick was sitting in a wooden chair on the left side of the room with his boots propped up on the table. Murphy's eyes wandered the room as he waited for the news on the files and whatever the scouting party found. He noticed something in the end of the room which caught his interest, hovering in a purple energy field. It was the Vault Key.

"So this little rock is the Vault Key?" Murphy asked, his eyes fixed on the object.

"Yeah, that's the key" Lilith stepped up beside Murphy and stared at the object with a look of depression.

"Hard to believe something so small could cause so much trouble" Murphy added.

"It is hard to believe. Sometimes I wish I never found this damn thing" Lilith said solemnly. To Murphy, it was just some rock but to Lilith, it was the object of her grief, and would probably bring her more pain in the future. Before Murphy could say anything to Lilith, Mordecai and Montayva made it up the stairs into the large room.

"Sorry for making you wait" Mordecai said, announcing his arrival. They stood near the front of the table where the doorway was closest to "Did we miss anything?" Murphy and Lilith turned away from the key and faced Mordecai and Montayva.

"Not really, but since you're here, we can begin" Erick said.

"Gaige, Ari, tell us what you've uncovered" Lilith ordered.

"No problem" Gaige said enthusiastically "A.N.N, show them what we've found." A.N.N's holographic figure appeared over the map. She lifted her hands and displayed Johnson's plans to the group.

"Turns out Johnson's planned attack on Sanctuary was just basic attack patterns, possible landing sites, frontline formations and other strategies. Nothing really interesting or useful" A.N.N said with an annoyed tone.

"Does it have any information on how to breach the city's shield?" Montayva asked.

"Nope, just basic war strategy. If he uses this plan in his supposed attack, he'd lose more than he would gain."

"So you're telling us this intel is complete shit" Mordecai sighed.

"Basically" A.N.N answered. Murphy found it hard to believe that this was the intel. After all he went through he came to Sanctuary with nothing useful.

"There's got to be more to this plan" Murphy said, in denial that this was all he found "Johnson's crazy not stupid. He must have some trick up his sleeve."

"Sorry partner but what you see is what you get" A.N.N said apologetically. Ari decided to speak up and discuss the other information they found.

"We did find some useful intel on Freedom City however" Ari added. A.N.N removed the information on the attack and displayed the intelligence on Freedom City "Somewhere under the city, there's an old Hyperion Armory containing weapons, Loader reinforcements, and hover crafts. Before he died, Jack built it as a way to store weapons and robotic guards. His intention was to unleash these weapons to maintain Opportunity's security once it was complete. We don't know the exact location of the entrance but we do know it's located somewhere in the old construction site" Ari pointed toward the bright red flickering area in the map.

"That place is huge, it could take weeks to find the exact location" Erick groaned.

"Even with the knowledge of it's location, we would need Hyperion clearance to travel safely through the armory" Ari said.

"We have that already" said Lilith. She was referring to Claptrap, who had built in Hyperion high security clearance in his programing "Why would Johnson care about a couple of basic weapons when he's focusing on finding the Champion's Vault?"

"Must be one of Johnson's backup plans, just in case he can't find the Vault" Erick answered "When we have the chance, we could try to find this armory and use it to our advantage. With those Loader reinforcements and the extra munitions, we may gain the edge over Hyperion." It was true what Erick said, with the added support, they may have enough to turn the tide of the war.

"Exactly what I was thinking" Ari added.

"Good idea, if we don't know where it is than neither does Johnson. That should buy us some time to find it" said Murphy.

"And with Moxxi in charge of the city, it'd be pretty tough for Johnson to try and look for it" Lilith said "We'll give it a look see when we have the time."

"There is something else we would like to discuss" said Gaige "Ari and I were thinking and we decided we should delete the files on the Champion's armory from A.N.N's data banks. Without the data, Johnson would be less likely to find it, buying us some more time. We just wanted to hear your thoughts on it before we delete it" The Vault Hunters unanimously agreed with the idea with the exception of Murphy who knew what would happen if they went through with this course of action, A.N.N had a look of grief on her face because she knew it was impossible to delete the data without causing her to self-terminate.

"We can't" said Murphy, trying to defend his friend's life "Holloway installed a failsafe in A.N.N's programming during her creation. If we try to delete those files, she'll die."

"Then what should we do? I don't want her to shut down but we can't let Johnson get his hands on her" asked Erick. None of the Vault Hunters wanted to remove the files if it meant A.N.N's demise. The AI spoke up to help resolve the dispute.

"You can seal me here" A.N.N said "Johnson can't access the city. The safest place for me is here in this room." Murphy had a look of distress on his face. A.N.N had been his partner and the only family he had for the past seven years. He couldn't imagine fighting Hyperion without her aid.

"That's not happening. We fight together, A.N.N. I can't win this alone" Murphy said, slamming his fist into the table. A.N.N smiled slightly, even though she was a burden to the Vault Hunters, Murphy still regarded her as a vital part of the team.

"You're not alone, partner. You don't need my help anymore" A.N.N said truthfully. She was right, Murphy was no longer alone. He had the Vault Hunters to aid him in his quest. Murphy breathed a heavy sigh and nodded his head, agreeing with A.N.N's decision. Lilith placed her hand on Murphy's shoulder to try and ease his mind.

"Don't worry killer, we'll keep her safe" Lilith smiled, reassuring the Enforcer that Johnson would never get his hands on her. Murphy cheered up when Lilith promised they would keep her safe.

"I'll still provide support through the Echo Murphy. I may not be there with you on the ground but I'll still lend a hand when you need it" A.N.N added. The Vault Hunters were glad to hear that A.N.N would still be of assistance even though she could no longer be with them on the battlefield.

"Any word from the scouting party?" said Montayva, curious to know what Hyperion was doing in the old Lynchwood mines. Soon after, Axton's voice was heard through the Echo.

"Hello ladies, did you miss me?" Axton said.

"Speak of the devil" Murphy exclaimed. Ari and Gaige just giggled at Axton's failed attempt at flirting, Montayva paid no mind to it and Lilith just crossed her arms over her chest and rolled her eyes.

"Not in the slightest, we actually enjoyed the peace and quiet" Lilith teased with a sly smile.

"Come on, I know you love it" Axton continued.

"I'd hate to break up the romance but is Maya and Zero with you?" asked Erick, patience wearing thin.

"Yeah guys, we're right here. Zero just came back with some intel on Lynchwood" Maya announced.

"Greetings my fellows/ I return with good tidings/ how was your mission?" Zero responded, curious to see how Mordecai and the others did in Liar's Berg.

"We were able to get the guns back without any hitches. Thanks to Murph over here" Erick said positively.

"I can't take all of the credit, Ace. It was your master plan that helped us succeed" Murphy added. Everyone remained silent for a couple of seconds and had a confused look on their face. With the exception of Montayva, the group wondered why Erick and Murphy were being so friendly toward one another, especially with their issues.

"Uh, either I missed something or the grog I had earlier is starting to kick in" Axton said, just as confused as everyone else.

"Let's just say Murphy and Erick have placed their differences on hold for the moment" Montayva noted.

"About time those two started getting along" Maya replied.

"That's not the only good news. Brick and Salvador are coming back to give us a hand" Mordecai added. Axton starting screaming with joy through the echo the minute Mordecai told him the good news.

"Hell yeah, the boys are back in town!" Axton's excitement was contagious, Murphy chuckled a bit as well as he was glad to know he'd see Salvador again.

"Can't wait to see what kind of trouble we get in to!" Erick shouted, just as excited as Axton to see the old crew back together.

"Boys" Gaige sighed, shaking her head.

"Let's get back to the mission in hand" Lilith said, killing the mood "What did you find in Lynchwood?" she asked.

"Zero found something interesting alright" Maya started "It looks like Johnson found something deep inside the old Lynchwood mines, the place is heavily guarded with Loaders and Elite guards. They've been using the rats to dig through the mine."

"Not those disgusting little cannibals again" Ari shuddered as she remembered the horrible experience she went through with the rats back in the Fridge.

"What did he find?" Murphy questioned.

"We're not sure exactly, but from what intel Zero gathered, it could possibly be a lead to the Champ's Vault" Axton continued. The others began to contemplate what their next move should be. They needed to move fast or Hyperion would be closer to finding the Vault.

"How much time do we have before they discover what's inside?" Murphy wondered, worried that their efforts might be in vein.

"Judging from the amount of workers in the mines and the pace they've been digging at, I'd say two weeks tops" Axton said, estimating what time they had left.

"That gives us a small window of opportunity to strike" Lilith said "What can you tell us about the lay out of the mine?"

"Well, the areas pretty enclosed, heavily reinforced to withstand most outside attack and the only entrance inside is blocked by a large blast door" Maya informed.

"Brick could lead a Buzzard assault on the Lynchwood mines. With his explosives and the Slabs' manpower, we could level the mine to the ground" Mordecai suggested, tweaking his long beard.

"That is most unwise/ Cannons liter the rooftops/ the cost would be great" Zero warned.

"Zero's right, the area's guarded by heavy anti-air guns. Brick's crew would be blown out of the sky in minutes and besides, the Slabs lack the firepower to level a whole mine" Maya clarified.

"How about a ground assault" Erick asked "We could lead a large raiding team inside the mine and plant a bomb. The explosion would weaken the structure and it'll collapse on itself, destroying whatever leads Johnson has on the Vault."

"How would we get past the blast door?" Axton wondered.

"That's the easy part, I could phase everyone inside the mine" Lilith added.

"And what about destroying the mine? Brick and the Slabs lack the payload to blow the whole place down from the inside. Frankly, so do we" Axton said.

"Perfect, what's our next move now?" said Murphy, annoyed about the situation they've been placed in. The Vault Hunters were low on time. They couldn't use their current supply of weapons because it wasn't enough to destroy the mines. They contemplated about searching for the entrance to the underground armory in Freedom City, it might have the explosives they needed they thought. Without the exact location to the entrance however, it would take them a minimum of 2 weeks to find it, time they didn't have. In a moment of brilliance, Gaige came up with a plan that would solve their current dilemma.

"I know one place on Pandora that may have what we need" Gaige began, eager to tell the rest of her plan "Sawtooth Cauldron!" she finished.

"That could work" Lilith agreed "Ever since Brick wiped the Sawteeth off the map, Hyperion made house in that old bandit town and turned it into a bomb factory. They might have the bomb we need."

"The factory is run by Loaders, security is going to be tight" Mordecai warned.

"We're gonna need everyone's help if we plan on taking that place head on" Lilith added "Guys, grab your things and meet us back at Sanctuary. We have a lot of planning to do" Lilith ordered the scouting party through the Echo.

"Sure thing boss lady, Axton and crew out" Axton and the others signed off the Echo and made their way out of Lynchwood back to Sanctuary.

"Ok everyone, get some rest. Once Axton, Brick and others arrive, we'll begin planning our attack on Sawtooth Cauldron" Lilith said.

"Sounds good to me, I need some rest" Erick yawned, stretching his arms in the air.

"Yeah, I had a long night too" Ari said. She rubbed her eyes, still exhausted after pulling an all-nighter decrypting the files. The siblings ran out of the command center and returned to their separate rooms to rest up.

"I think I'll help Scooter disassemble the bird in the workshop. We do need the spare parts to keep the shields up after all" said Gaige, placing her metal hand on her neck and bending it left and right. She went down the stairs and ran toward Scooter's to help in the ship's disassembly.

"I sure could use some Z's" said Mordecai "Come on Monty, let's hit the hay" Mordecai proceeded to squeeze Montayva's tight buttocks softly with his hand.

"Oh!" she gasped. She reacted with shock for a second but later began to enjoy the interaction. She smiled and wrapped her arm just under her shoulder as she brought him closer. Mordecai proceeded to wrap her arm over her shoulders. The two walked together to spend some quality time in their room.

"Have fun you two" Lilith teased. Mordecai did not turn around to face Lilith but he flew his hand up and flipped her off as he walked with his love downstairs. Lilith did not retaliate however, she just shook her head and chuckled. Murphy joined in the laughter afterwards.

"If you need me, I'll be in the firing range" Murphy said looking at Lilith. He looked back towards A.N.N to ask her a question "You sure about staying here?"

"I'll be okay" A.N.N reassured. Murphy nodded and waved goodbye to Lilith and A.N.N. He went down the stairs and ran to the firing range, leaving his helmet behind.


	26. Chapter 25-Heart of a Machine

It was early morning, the sun had finally lit up the sky with its warm, radiant gaze. While the others were out doing their own thing, Lilith was on the top floor in the command center, sitting on the balcony just outside the room as she waited for the scouting party to return. Lilith had a bored expression on her face as she sat back on a chair and flicked her red hair out of her face. A.N.N was plugged in the command center mainframe, forced to remain imprisoned as she posed a threat to the safety of Pandora due of the hidden knowledge of the Vault locked away deep in her data banks. A.N.N felt like a complete burden to them. In a way, she was like the Vault Key she thought. She was right, she held the key to unlocking mystical, ancient powers locked away by the ancient Eridians to prevent mortal hands from ever abusing them, just like the Vault Key. If Johnson finds The Champion's Vault, he would be a god amongst men.

"What a beautiful day" Lilith said, commenting on the oddly cool weather "And not a single thing to do" She began tapping her foot up and down as she grew more annoyed by the second "When are the others going to show?" she sighed. She tried her best to hide it but she was growing more impatient by the minute as she eagerly awaited the return of the scouting team and the arrival of Brick and Salvador. A.N.N was starting to get bored herself so she decided to speak to the Siren.

"Hey Lilith, mind if we chat?" A.N.N asked, her visage appearing on the holographic map. Lilith turned away from the morning sky and turned to the AI.

"Like I have anything better to do" Lilith shrugged. She stood up and picked up the lawn chair from the balcony and placed it in front of the AI's visage in the room. She sat down and crossed her legs, ready to hear her out.

"I just wanted to thank you for sparing me, I know it was a tough decision" A.N.N said gratefully.

"You're family, remember? We stick together through the good times and the bad" Lilith said. A.N.N smiled, she was never treated before with such kindness from a human being, with the exception of Murphy.

"Family" A.N.N repeated quietly "It'll take me some time getting used to that word."

"Why?" Lilith asked, out of genuine curiosity.

"Humans tend to treat machines like tools, their purpose only to serve their masters. Nothing more and nothing less" A.N.N said with a hint of melancholy "Ever since I was conceived in Holloway's lab, I've always been treated as tool, always surrounded by people who never cared about my thoughts or feelings."

"Except for Murphy" Lilith interjected "From the way he treats you, I can tell he sees you as a person, not a tool."

"That's right" A.N.N said, smiling slightly "Murphy is the only person I know who treats me as an equal, as a human being."

"He's not the only one that's sees you as a human being" Lilith added. A.N.N appreciated Lilith's warm sentiment.

"Thank you, that means a lot" said A.N.N "I never thought I'd meet others who would treat me with such kindness."

"We're not angels from heaven, A.N.N. We can't judge a book by its cover, we have to read the pages first. So in short, just because you are a machine doesn't mean we have to treat you like one" Lilith added. She was talking from the heart. For all her life, Lilith has been surrounded by people with mysterious pasts and questionable characters. She made it an effort to know and understand them and not judge them because of who they were or what they looked like. Most of the Vault Hunters were people with troubled pasts, including herself but they saw the good in each other and disregarded the bad they've done. It's one of the reasons they have been such a cohesive unit over the past couple of year. They didn't treat each other as individuals or partners, they treated each other as family.

"I can understand now why Murphy likes you" A.N.N said. Lilith's face started growing red when A.N.N mentioned Murphy's attraction to her.

"He said that?" said Lilith sheepishly.

"No, but I can tell when he's around you. He just seems happier" A.N.N shrugged. Lilith felt the same when she was around the Enforcer but she tried her best to avoid these feelings. Ever since Roland died, she made it an effort to never get close to someone like that again. She feared that she would relive the pain of losing someone she cared for, someone she loved.

"How long have you known Murphy?" said Lilith, trying to change the subject. A.N.N knew she was trying to hide her emotions but she decided to answer the Siren's question anyway.

"I've known him for my entire life. Seven years to be exact" A.N.N was ready to go into more detail but paused for a minute to change her statement "In a way, I've really only known him for two years."

"What makes you say that?" Lilith asked.

"You already know this but two years ago, Murphy regained his memories and killed his… our former employer, Mr. Holloway. Ever since that day, he's been a completely different person."

"Yeah he has changed, he's not a slave for some deranged rich jackass anymore" Lilith said, not fully understanding what A.N.N meant.

"True, but that's not what I meant" A.N.N continued. Lilith was growing more interested in hearing what the AI had to say about Murphy. She scooted her chair in closer to hear A.N.N out. "Before his memory returned, Murphy was what I believed a human should be. He was open, he had dreams, and he cared about everyone close to him. Even after Holloway changed him, he still had those traits and those emotions inside of him. He wasn't some cold and ruthless killing machine, he showed remorse for his targets. He wouldn't have done all those horrible things if Holloway hadn't hard wired his mind so he would be an obedient slave. Over the years however, he's grown distant and cold, even toward me."

"I know, he seemed pretty avoidant when he started talking about his past" Lilith said, remembering all the times Murphy tried to avoid the subject.

"His past is the reason he's become this way. Ever since his memories returned, the guilt of his sister's death and the innocent lives he's taken has torn him up inside. Over the years, he's become close to what I am, a machine. In some strange way, I'm the only thing that's kept him anchored to his humanity. I'm the one thing that has kept him from completely turning into what I am" A.N.N said.

"He can't blame himself for all those lives, Holloway made him do all those things and he wasn't the one who killed his younger sister" Lilith said in Murphy's defense.

"I agree with you. His sister's death and the murder of his victims were not his doing. But he believes his actions are the reason they're gone. That's enough to make him believe it was his fault" A.N.N paused for a minute as she noticed the sad look on Lilith's face. She wanted to stop but she knew Lilith wanted to know more "Do you want to know how his sister died?" A.N.N asked, believing the Siren was curious about the circumstances surrounding Murphy's sister.

"Montayva told me what happened to her after my hangover wore off" Lilith said, remembering how upset Montayva was when she told her "I wanted to talk to him about but I never had the courage to ask him. He was just trying to help."

"That's what I keep telling him, but he doesn't listen to me. That event placed his heart in a dark place" A.N.N said sadly "But I think this war against Johnson might bring Murphy out of the darkness. Maybe he can finally wipe away his sins once Johnson's gone" A.N.N's tone changed into one of hope when she said that.

"I hope he finds peace" Lilith said, genuinely caring for Murphy's sake "I have another question?"

"What do you wish to know?" A.N.N could tell already what she wanted to know.

"How did Murphy regain his memories?"

"Gaige" A.N.N answered.

"Gaige?" Lilith had a look of confusion on her face "How could Gaige be the reason his memories are back?"

"Because she reminds him of Ann, his sister" A.N.N could remember the incident as clear as day, Holloway was distraught after she accidently murdered Marcie, his daughter "Holloway asked us to kill her after the Science Fair incident involving Gaige and his daughter. When he gave us visual identification of our target, something in Murphy sparked. He slowly remembered who he was and the promise he made. In a crazy way, she woke him up. He proceeded to kill Holloway afterwards."

"I'm surprised Holloway didn't install some safety precaution in case something like that happened" Lilith added.

"He did, in me" A.N.N retorted "If Murphy ever tried to turn on him, I was ordered to shut his heart down. But I couldn't go through with it. I couldn't kill the only family I've ever known. So I disobeyed and allowed him to kill my former master." Lilith was amazed at how human A.N.N was, no machine would risk so much to protect another. She slowly understood why Murphy cared so much for A.N.N and why she felt the same. She also understood why Murphy accepted the mission Gaige's parents offered him and why he came to Pandora.

"Now I understand why he risked his life looking for Gaige, he feels like he owes her for his freedom."

"That's right" A.N.N verified Lilith's suspicions "He believes if he can save her, he can finally redeem himself, but it's not enough. Saving her and bringing her home won't return his humanity."

"Then what will?" Lilith asked, wanting to help Murphy through his pain.

"He needs someone like you and the other Vault Hunters to bring him back" A.N.N informed.

"Us?" Lilith asked.

"Yes" A.N.N started "You're the closest thing to a real family he has had in a long time" A.N.N began contemplating her own fate after she said that. She may be immortal but she knew she wouldn't be able to watch Murphy forever "Lilith, can you promise me something?"

"Sure, what is it?" Lilith wondered.

"If something happens to me, please watch over the big lug for me. I'm afraid he'd lose whatever shred of humanity he has left if I died. He'll need you to be his anchor" the way she said it, A.N.N wasn't directing the responsibility of maintaining Murphy's humanity on the Vault Hunters but more towards Lilith specifically. A.N.N felt that maybe Lilith could not only protect her longtime partner but save his humanity.

"I'll try my best" Lilith understood what A.N.N meant and she made it her goal to keep Murphy safe. A.N.N was glad to hear Lilith accept the responsibility. Lilith continued the conversation by asking another question "A.N.N, I have to ask you one last thing."

"Okay" said A.N.N, ready to answer her question.

"Why did Murphy stay to help us?"

"Because of a promise he made long ago" A.N.N answered.

"What was his promise?"

"He promised that he would never allow anyone to ever go through the same pain and loss he went through. That's why he wants to stop Hyperion" A.N.N said. Lilith found it hard to believe how selfless someone could be, especially Murphy after all the things he went through. Lilith was glad to have someone like Murphy on the team. Both A.N.N and Lilith smiled with warm hearts as they felt they had grown much closer to one another and the thought of Murphy possibly finding peace filled them with happiness. The two looked toward the sun one last time and they saw hope over the horizon. It was the hope of a better future, the hope they and the others would win this war and see another sunrise.


	27. Chapter 26-Reunion

It was midday, Murphy was in the firing range in Marcus Munitions', firing his Blaster into the carcass of a bandit midget tied to a small conveyor belt. He screamed as the bullets burned and charred his skin.

"I'm never gonna get used to that" Murphy said, unnerved by the screaming. Before he could load another practice clip in his rifle, he saw Gaige walk down the steps next to the entrance. She was covered in grease and motor oil, obviously from disassembling the ship in Scooter's Workshop. Marcus popped out of the back room to say hello to the Mechromancer.

"Greetings young lady, what brings you to my humble shop?" Marcus asked with a greedy smile on his face "I know! You are here for the newest batch of electric weapons, aren't you? Maybe one for the young man" Marcus raised his eyebrow, obviously talking about Erick.

"Sorry Marcus, just wanted to talk to Murphy" Gaige said, not interested in Marcus's sleazy deals.

"The tin can is over there in the firing range" Marcus pointed his thumb to the room on the right. Marcus returned to the storage room to check his supply. Gaige walked up to Murphy to say hi.

"Hey kid, what brings you here?" Murphy asked.

"Just wanted to talk" Gaige answered.

"About what?" Murphy continued.

"Just stuff" Gaige shrugged "What happened between you and Erick? You two were ready to go at each other's throats and now you're like BFF's. Not that it's a bad thing, I'm just a bit curious." Murphy just smiled when she asked. Murphy placed his gun on top of the counter in front of him and turned toward the Mechromancer.

"Let's just say we've come to an understanding" Murphy answered. Before the incident in the Shelf, Murphy hated the Brother, not just because of the fact he zapped him but because of how much he reminded the Enforcer of himself when he was that age. Murphy was brash, arrogant, and prideful. He believed he was indestructible back in his younger years, just like Erick seems to believe. He finally came to the realization that the kid meant no disrespect, he was just being a kid. After the incident, he believed that his heated rivalry could lead to the death of the Brother, something Murphy didn't want to happen. He decided to let bygones be bygones and try to know Erick a bit better before judging him as an annoying brat with a superiority complex. Gaige smiled, she was glad to hear they were ready to get along.

"Can I ask you something else" Gaige asked. Murphy nodded, letting her know he was ready to answer her question "I was just wondering how things are back in Eden-5?"

"Things have gotten a lot better since you left" Murphy said with a hint of optimism "With the Holloways gone, the cops have cleaned themselves up and returned to fighting for the people's rights and not for another pay day." Gaige liked the sound of that, she always hated Marcie and her dad because of how they used their money and influence to get what they want and to put the little guys, and girls, down.

"That's awesome to hear" Gaige smiled "Guess those rich jackoffs got what they deserved after all."

"Yes they did kid" Murphy said. He could tell she wanted to know more not just about her home but of her parents and Murphy's plans after Johnson has been killed "If you want to ask me about anything else, go ahead."

"What do you plan on doing after Johnson's dead?" Gaige asked "Do you still plan on taking me home?" As much as she wanted to see her mom and dad again, she didn't want to leave the Vault Hunters behind. They were her family now and they needed her to look for the other Vaults strewn across the galaxy.

"That's up to you Gaige" Murphy said. He wasn't going to force her to come home but he promised the family that he would bring her back home safely. He'll just have to come up with an excuse for them he thought "If you wish to stay here, then you stay. But you need to give me your decision as soon as possible." Gaige wondered what she should do now, would she stay here or go home. She took a deep breath after coming to a decision.

"I want to go home and see my mom and dad again, Murphy. But I'm not staying home" Gaige said. Murphy wondered why she wouldn't stay home. He soon realized the reason she didn't want to stay on Eden-5 was because of the warrant for her arrest and the bounty on her head.

"If you're worried about getting imprisoned for the incident back in the Science Fair, relax. All charges have been dropped and the bounty is null and void" Murphy assured. Gaige shook her head because those weren't the reasons she wanted to only visit home not stay at home.

"It's not that, it's because I need to be here for my friends" Gaige answered "This place is my home now. I need to stay here to keep it safe, to keep my family safe" Gaige was referring to the Vault Hunters. As much as she loved her parents, the Vault Hunters were her family now. Murphy nodded his head in understanding.

"After this mission is over, we'll head back to Eden-5 and stick around for a week or two. Just to take in the sights and say hello to your parents. After that, we'll head back to Pandora to hunt down the other Vaults" Murphy said. Gaige jumped up and down when she heard she was going back home. She began to contemplate how to tell her parents about her adventures and her relationship with Erick. She stopped jumping and had a worried look on her face. How was she going to tell her dad she had a boyfriend she thought. He may be a good dad but he was always overprotective of Gaige. She then wondered about how she was going to tell Erick she was leaving for home. Murphy could read her like a book and knew what ran through her mind.

"If you're worried about Ace, you can bring him with us" Murphy said. Gaige had a huge grin on her face, she couldn't wait to introduce Erick to her folks.

"I can't wait to tell him the good news" she giggled. Murphy turned toward the doorway and glared at it for a second. He started laughing. Gaige gave Murphy a curious look "What's so funny?"

"Here's your chance to tell him" Murphy laughed "You can come out now Ace, I know you're there." Murphy's suspicions were correct. Erick slowly walked out of his hiding place near the stairs and walked toward the range.

"Erick, what are you doing here?" Gaige had an annoyed look on her face. She couldn't believe Erick was eavesdropping on her. Erick's face grew red with embarrassment and he started to scratch his dark hair nervously.

"Uh…well…I" Erick stammered. He regained his composure to tell them the reason for his presence "Lilith told me to gather everyone to the HQ. Axton and the others have returned and Brick and Sal have arrived as well. Also, Tannis wanted to speak to you, Murph. She might have discovered something new about the suit."

"He's telling the truth" Murphy said, trying to lay some heat off of the concerned Brother "Thanks for letting us know. Just out of curiosity, would you like to join us on a trip to Eden-5 after we're finished with Hyperion?" Erick grew more nervous. He wondered if it was a good idea. What if Gaige's parents hate him he thought.

"Sure, why not" Erick said quickly without thinking. He paused for a minute and wondered what he just did. Gaige's annoyed look turned into one of sheer joy, she jumped forward and gave Erick a huge hug.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Gaige shouted, squeezing Erick's ribs tighter. He started turning blue in the face as he couldn't breathe. Gaige released her grip on him and he took in a deep breath. Murphy just laughed at their teen angsts.

"Then it's settled, we're going to Eden-5 after we get the job done" Murphy said. Murphy picked up his rifle and He and the young couple walked upstairs.

"How did you know I was upstairs, Murph?" Erick wondered, curious to know how he found him so easily.

"Thermal vision, Ace. Best way to find eavesdroppers" Murphy pointed toward his metal eyes. Erick wasn't upset however, he just smiled as he felt he deserved getting caught. After leaving the munitions store, the group walked back to the HQ. Outside the entrance, they saw Axton and the scouting party conversing with Salvador and a rather large man. This man was built like an army tank. He had muscles bulging from head to toe. He wore a matching pair of blue pants and a sleeveless vest, black gloves with bolts and nails strapped to them, wore a necklace with two dog paws attached to it, and black boots. His hair was shaved and he had claw marks on parts of his face and arms. He was as tall as a mountain, dwarfing even Murphy's height. Murphy was not a man of small stature by any means but he made Murphy look like a mere mortal amongst a giant.

Salvador turned away from the others and saw Murphy "Tin Man!" he shouted. He ran toward Murphy and gave him a firm handshake.

"Salvador!" Murphy said, glad to see the Gunzerker again "It's good to see you again."

"Same here amigo, I almost didn't recognize you without your helmet" Salvador said "I'm glad you changed your mind and joined the Raiders."

"I couldn't just leave yet, I'm actually starting to like this place" Murphy said "What brings you back here, I thought you had to take care of your grandmother?" Murphy asked.

"Mi abuela decided to move out of Ovejas. She's living with mi primos in the country. Now I can help you guys kick those Hyperion putas in their collective culos" Salvador bellowed with a smile. The large man approached Murphy to introduce himself.

"Since you're already acquainted with the little guy, allow me to introduce myself. Brick's the name, punching shit to death is my game" Brick shouted, slamming his right fist into his left palm. Murphy and Brick shook hands afterwards.

"Glad to have you onboard, I'm Murphy" said the Enforcer.

"So you're the new guy, I've heard some pretty badass things about you from the others. Just to let you know, I've already called dibs on hunting the Vaults so don't get any bright ideas" Brick bellowed, pointing his thick finger on Murphy's chest to drive his point across. Maya rolled her eyes when Brick mentioned his rather illogical remark. Axton and Zero just shrugged, not wanting to argue with the big man's logic. Salvador and Murphy started laughing when he said it while Gaige and Erick walked up to greet their old friend.

"Glad to have you back Brick. Things weren't the same without you" said Erick, glad to have The Berserker back on the team.

"Glad to be back, slab" Brick said, patting the two young Vault Hunters in the back and almost knocking them off their feet. Shortly after, Lilith, Mordecai, Montayva, and Ari walked outside of the HQ to greet the returning Vault Hunters. Brick ran up to Lilith and Mordecai and gave them a big hug. "Mordy, Lilith, it's good to see ya!" Brick yelled, excited to see his old friends. Mordecai and Lilith were also glad to see the big guy but they soon tried to push away from him once he started crushing them.

"It's good to see you too, Brick. But would you mind putting us down" Mordecai said with a hoarse voice as he started losing his breath. Brick released his bear hug from the two veteran Vault Hunters, allowing them to catch their breath.

"The whole gangs back together" Axton said, clapping his hands with anticipation for what lies ahead. He looked at Mordecai, ready to ask him a smart remark "Hey Mordecai, did you have fun while we were away?" Axton wiggled his eyebrows as he took a jab at Mordecai's relationship.

"Actually he did have fun. More than you did Axton" Montayva teased. Axton was ready to make a witty comeback until Maya gave him a look. He decided to drop it, not wanting to be humiliated by a woman.

"Since we're all here, we can head back inside to talk about our next move" Lilith said. She had a smile on her face as she was glad to see everyone together again. The group went their separate ways for a while after Athenas to take a break from vault hunting. With the rise of Johnson however, they were forced to join forces one more time "I'll be out here for a minute, I need to ask Murphy something." The Vault Hunters followed her orders and went back inside. Mordecai turned to Lilith before heading back to HQ.

"Have fun you two" Mordecai teased, getting back at Lilith for making the same remark earlier. Lilith paid no mind to it and walked up to Murphy, ready to ask him something.

"You wanted to tell me something?" Murphy asked, wondering what Lilith wanted.

"Actually, I wanted to ask if you wanted to join me later tonight in Claptraps Diner" Lilith asked "With all the chaos with Hyperion, we never had a real chance to know each other" Lilith was hoping he would say yes. Murphy nervously contemplated what to do next, should he say yes or no. He did enjoy the idea of being around her but he didn't want to be selfish. He wanted to help the people of Pandora first before dealing with his personal life. After several minutes of silence, Murphy gave his answer.

"Why not, it couldn't hurt" Murphy shrugged. Lilith was happy to hear his answer.

"Great, I'll see you tonight" she said "Before I forget, Tannis wanted to speak to you about something in the control center. I'll stay down in the lobby to plan the attack with the others."

"She's not gonna extract my blood is she?" Murphy joked.

"No, she wanted to tell you something important. You really need to hear what she has to say" She smiled and gave a wink at Murphy. She walked back to the HQ to talk to the others. He walked upstairs to talk to Tannis.

"What did I get myself into?" he whispered toward himself.


	28. Chapter 27-Free At Last

Murphy made it to the Central Control Room and met with Tannis. Tannis stood next to the table in the dead center. The only other person in the room was A.N.N, her visage standing on the projector in the middle. She was in an oddly cheery mood, especially with her situation. "What do you want Tannis?" Murphy asked.

"I have discovered some new information about the suit that may interest you" Tannis said.

"I already know everything there is to know about the suit so whatever news you have for me will be a huge waste of time" Murphy said. He was ready to leave until A.N.N spoke up.

"Hold on hero, you really need to hear what she has to say" A.N.N said. Murphy decided to hear Tannis out and stayed in the room. He grabbed a chair and sat on it as he waited to hear what Tannis's big discovery was.

"Tell me, do you know how to remove the suit?" Tannis inquired. Murphy had a look of rage when she asked him that question.

"Yeah, put a bullet through my skull" Murphy yelled "I can't take this suit off unless I'm dead, lady. I've already tried everything but it won't come off. It's bonded to me until I'm no more."

"Yes, that is true but it is not the only way to remove it" Tannis added.

"What do you mean?" Murphy asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Through further research, I have discovered a way to remove the suit without having to murder you. The Champion had a combination on his wrist plate which allowed him to remove the suit freely and safely whenever he pleased. I believe the key to your freedom lies here" Tannis pointed toward Murphy's right wrist. Toward the keypad he used to activate the recording function of his suit to speak his thoughts freely.

"Do you know the combination? Please tell me!" Murphy urged. He had been trapped for seven years in his Nanite Suit and was willing to do whatever it took to finally be free of it. Tannis nodded her head and handed Murphy a piece of paper with the combination on it. Murphy looked at the paper and read the numbers. He had a smile that reached from ear to ear on his face. Murphy was ready to press the combination on his wrist but he stopped himself from doing so to think. Although he would be free, what would happen if he removed the suit? Would he no longer be able to use it? As much as the prospect of freedom was impossible to pass up, he needed to think of the others. He would not be able to help them with his full potential without the suit. If he was going to beat Hyperion, he needed the suit to be at his best.

"Murphy, why did you stop? This is your chance to feel human again. Isn't that what you want?" A.N.N asked. A.N.N wanted Murphy to be human again no matter the cost. For the past two years, she has tried her best to help Murphy through this pain and now she could finally set him free.

"I just need to know one thing, will I still be able to use the suit or will it stop working for me once it comes off?" Murphy asked.

"As much as it pains me to say it, you will still be able to use the device whenever you please" Tannis said, grinding her teeth because she had planned on studying it further once it was removed from Murphy "But that's not the only thing that I found interesting. From the data I have gathered, it appears that the suit is bonded to you at the genetic level, meaning the suit can only work for you and you alone."

"So you are telling me that no one else could use the suit" Murphy asked.

"Yes. The only way they could use it is if they severed your connection with the suit. To clarify, Neanderthal, they would have to kill you in order to use the suit's power" Tannis added. It took Murphy some time to digest this new information; he couldn't believe he would no longer be trapped inside of the Nanite Suit. It sounded too good to be true.

"So I can still help the others and have a normal life" Murphy whispered. He looked down at his hand one last time. He could finally be free of his metal prison. Murphy smiled as he imagined all the things he would finally be able to do once he was out of the suit.

"Does anyone else know about this?" Murphy asked as he looked back up toward Tannis and A.N.N.

"The only ones who know are Lilith and I" A.N.N said "Tannis came rushing toward us when she learned about it." Murphy realized why she was so cheery earlier, Lilith wanted to surprise him with the good news. He let out a huge laugh, it was if a huge weight was lifted from his shoulders.

"I'll be in the bathroom, I'm gonna need one hell of a shower" Murphy admitted happily.

"Before you leave, you may want to take these with you" Tannis handed Murphy a batch of fresh clothes, a razor, and a note on top of it. Murphy began reading the letter.

"Hey killer, if you're reading this than you already heard the good news. Judging from all the hardware you were carrying in your bag, I could tell you were in desperate need of some new clothes so I decided to give you some of Erick's old ones. Don't worry, he barely ever uses those anymore and they should be a perfect fit for you. You may want to clean yourself up for our dinner tonight. Catch you later. Lilith." Murphy finished reading her letter. He felt a sense of gratitude fill inside him for the kindness Lilith has shown him. She took in a complete stranger and allowed him to aid in their cause, giving him the one thing he hoped for, a second chance.

"Thanks for the info Tannis, I needed some good news" before he left, Murphy noticed he'd left his helmet on the table of the room. Murphy grabbed it and rushed down the stairs and went to the third floor bathroom. As he entered the bathroom and closed the door behind him, Murphy looked at himself in the mirror. He felt strange for some reason. It has been so long since he felt anything, the water flowing on his skin and the warmth of another's touch. How would he react to all of this thought. Murphy took a look at the paper one last time, reading it to remember the combination. He hung the clothes on a towel rack and he burned the paper with the combination as his hand turned bright orange. He dumped the burned scraps down the toilet. He couldn't risk Hyperion knowing it for it may compromise his safety and the others. He looked down at his wrist again and took a deep breath. He pressed the number combinations into his wrist. Suddenly, Murphy felt the suit's hold on him loosen, the red markings stopped glowing red and turned dark in an instant. He felt his body grow heavier as the suit weighed him down. The locks in the device slowly unlocked for the first time in seven years. Soon, the pieces of the suit started falling off his body. The first to come off were the gloves and the upper torso as the armor just fell off his body. The pieces landed on the floor and made a clanking sound as they fell. Murphy looked down at his hand in amazement. He could actually feel the cold sink as he placed his hand on it. He could feel something. Murphy began chuckling, in complete disbelief he was finally free. He looked at himself through the mirror and began examining his upper body.

He was still in top condition even after being imprisoned for seven years. He was still mostly flesh and bone, the only real hints of cybernetic enhancement on his body were the glowing blue veins on parts of his arm and his chest. His skin was very pale due to his extended time being trapped in the suit. He shed the remaining bits of armor from his body and stepped into the shower. As the warm water began cascading down his skin, his muscles began feeling a warm sensation for the first time in years. His worries began melting away, he was finally free.

Meanwhile back in the center of the lobby, the other Vault Hunters were standing around the couch, planning their attack on Sawtooth Cauldron, discussing how to approach the heavily guarded Hyperion bomb manufacturing facility. This would be their most difficult mission since Athenas. They needed everyone at their best if they were to succeed. Suddenly, they heard someone walk down the stairs. They turned around and saw a clean shaven man with wet black hair wearing a maroon short sleeve shirt, black jeans and boots. He was well built, almost near the peak of physical perfection. The Vault Hunters didn't recognize him at first but once they had a good look at him, they realized it was Murphy.

"Murph, is that you?" asked Erick, barely able to recognize him without the armor. They had gotten used to the robotic exterior of the Enforcer, it would take some time to get used to his human appearance.

"Yeah Ace, it's me" Murphy assured. The minute he called Erick Ace, they realized it was him.

"Murphy, what happened to your suit?" asked Maya. He just smiled when she brought it up.

"I decided to wear something a bit more comfortable" Murphy answered "My suit's in my duffle bag upstairs. When we head to the Cauldron, I'll wear it again." Lilith stood up from the couch and approached Murphy.

"How do you feel killer?" Lilith asked, happy to see he was finally free.

"I feel light as a feather" Murphy started jumping in place, still getting used to the fact he was no longer in a metal suit. Lilith laughed at his silly behavior but she was glad he was happy. Lilith frowned as she noticed a cut on the side of Murphy's cheek.

"What happened to your face, Murphy?" Lilith had a worried look on her face but Murphy seemed unfazed by the cut.

"I cut myself shaving, no biggie" Murphy said. Lilith placed her hand on Murphy's right cheek to examine the cut. She noticed he was bleeding profusely. He felt her warm touch on his face, he could use to that he thought. He suddenly winced in pain after a while. Lilith removed her hand from his face.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you" Lilith apologized.

"Don't worry, it's not you" Murphy's veins started glowing a brighter shade of blue, similar to the Sirens' tattoos when their powers were in use. The cut suddenly stopped bleeding and slowly closed, completely healed. The Nanites in his blood were active and conducting their main function if Murphy was injured. The veins on his neck and arms returned to their normal shade of blue and Murphy wiped the blood from his cheek.

"How did you do that?" Lilith was shocked and puzzled; she couldn't believe what she saw. Murphy answered her question calmly.

"Nanites. I may not be in the suit but the Nanites are still in my blood. If I'm ever injured, they'll repair the damage" Murphy said. Lilith stood their gawking at Murphy, she finally understood how he was able to drink so much in the bar and heal so quickly from the electric blast. Murphy had a puzzled look on his face and wondered what she was thinking.

"So what's our plan for the Cauldron?" Murphy asked, trying to bring focus back to the mission.

"Right, uh, let's sit on the couch and the others will explain" Lilith stammered. She started blushing a bit as she found Murphy rather attractive. Montayva could sense their attraction towards one another from afar and smiled. She could also sense their grief dissipating when they were around each other. It was still there, but it's hold on them was weakened. Murphy and Lilith sat down the couch to go over the plan again so he could understand.

"Okay slab, listen up" Brick bellowed to get Murphy's attention "Hyperion has been giving the Slabs a lot of trouble ever since they made house in the Cauldron. Our plan is to burn the place to the ground and find the bomb we need to annihilate that mine in Lynchwood. This is how we're gonna do it. Erick, you go first." Erick stood up and walked forward to go over the details.

"Okay Murph, pay attention. Gaige and I will head to the the center of the camp just outside of the old Buzzard's Nest. We're gonna plant a few explosives on the fuel tanks. We'll also plant a flare on top of the large tower in the center afterwards. Once we've rigged the place with charges, we'll fire off the flare to signal in the Slabs' aerial reinforcements and then we'll set off the charges, cutting the Loader security in half." Brick continued after Erick was done.

"I'll lead my Buzzards through the air and bomb the crap out of the Cauldron, providing a distraction." Mordecai raised his voice to talk about the rest of the plan.

"I'll ride shotgun with Brick on his Buzzard. I'll be the eye in the sky feeding you intel through the Echo. I'll provide sniper support from up there as well. Hopefully it will give you guys an edge in the fight." Maya stood up next to speak of her part of the plan.

"Montayva and I will provide support for the Buzzards. She'll phase us up to the top of the Nest. We'll try to keep the Jet Loaders grounded, decreasing the number of casualties and making all of our lives easier." Axton stood up next. He and Salvador gave the group cocky grins.

"Salvador and I will draw in any ground units toward our position in the center of the encampment. So while you're doing all that boring crap, he and I will have all the fun" Brick had an annoyed look when Axton said that. He wanted to be on the ground punching his adversaries to death, not leading a Buzzard strike from the sky. Brick was a thrill junkie, he loved smashing things with his bare hands and enjoyed the sight of ripping people limb from limb. Mordecai patted Brick on the shoulder.

"Don't worry Brick, we'll get in the action next time" Mordecai assured. Zero stood up to give his input on the plan. He looked toward Axton and Salvador.

"I'll provide support/Sniping our adversaries/ Killing from afar." Axton and Salvador nodded toward the Assassin, they knew his presence would make a difference in their struggle.

"In short, he'll be shooting bad guys from the cliff face and watch both our asses if things go loco" Salvador added. Lilith stood up to tell the final details of the plan.

"I'll phase Ari, Murphy, and I to Erick and Gaige's location. Once we regroup, we'll head to the bomb factory in the cave right under the Nest. we'll use the chaos to sneak in unnoticed and find what we're looking for. If there's any resistance inside the factory, we'll handle them" Lilith gave a confident smirk, assuring the other Vault Hunters they would succeed. Murphy understood the details of the plan and nodded.

"This is going to be a difficult fight. We should rest up, grab any gear we need and prepare for tomorrow" Montayva advised. After they were finished going over the details, the Vault Hunters went upstairs to prepare for the fight for tomorrow. Lilith and Murphy stayed behind to discuss their rendezvous for tonight.

"So what time should I be at the diner?" Murphy asked, nervously scratching his head.

"Be there around sunset, don't be late" Lilith warned playfully.

"Don't worry, I'd never keep a beautiful woman waiting" Murphy joked, Lilith started blushing again when Murphy complemented her, she then started laughing at Murphy's line because of how corny it sounded. Murphy began to regret saying that however because he thought the line was rather cheesy. The two went upstairs, Lilith to her room to prepare for tonight and Murphy to the Control Center to speak with A.N.N about today's events.


	29. Chapter 28-Broken Spirits

Murphy was marching back and forth in the Control Room on the top floor. It has been awhile since Murphy was on a date with someone. A.N.N started chuckling at Murphy's silly disposition.

"Keep this up, you're going to dig a moat with all this walking" A.N.N joked.

"Give me brake, I'm just nervous" said Murphy. He turned toward A.N.N to ask her something "How do I look?" A.N.N started looking at Murphy to give her critique of his appearance.

"Aside from the serious need of a haircut and maybe a little sun, you look perfect for tonight" A.N.N said truthfully. Murphy started laughing when A.N.N made her honest remark. He was in such a good mood that nothing could put a damper on it. He looked outside the balcony, it was sunset. It was time to move out.

"I got to go, see you after tonight" Murphy said as he rushed down the stairs to get Lilith. A.N.N was glad for her friend; it was the first time in a long time seeing him in such high spirits. Murphy was outside of the girls' bunk, the door was locked and the light was seeping through the cracks of the door. He knew Lilith was inside waiting for him. He lifted his fist as he was about to gently knock on the door. Before he could place his knuckles on the door, he heard a man's voice in the room. The crackling of static could be heard in the voice, it was a prerecorded message. Murphy placed his ear on the door to hear what it was saying.

"Lilith, it's me" said the gruff voice "If you're listening to this then something has happened to me. If I'm gone, I'm leaving you in charge of the raiders. I know it's asking a bit much but you're the only one I can trust with leading the soldiers. No matter how much you try to deny it, you're a strong leader Lilith, stronger than even me. I only wish I could be there to tell you how much I care for you. I hope you find happiness in someone else. I-I love you. Roland." A clicking noise went off once the message had finished. The sound of crying could be heard from behind the door. Murphy could tell it was Lilith's crying. She still hadn't let go of her memories of Roland, just like Murphy couldn't let go of his past. Murphy knocked on the door to see if she was okay.

"Who is it?" Lilith yelled, her tone changing the minute she heard the door knock as she tried her best to hide her sadness.

"It's Murphy, are you ready to go?" Murphy tried his best not to ask her about what she was listening to because he did not want to upset her further.

"Yeah, give me a second" Lilith hid the recorder under her bed and rushed to the door. She swung it open and saw Murphy standing in front of the doorway "How long have you been standing there?" Lilith asked with suspicion.

"I just got here" Murphy lied, trying not to hurt her feelings. Lilith did not question whether he was telling the truth or not and just went with the excuse "Let's head to the diner before it gets late. We have a big day tomorrow."

"Sure thing" Lilith agreed. The two walked down the stairs into the lobby. When they turned to their right, they saw Axton and Zero sitting on the couch, playing a fighting game on the T.V. while Erick and Salvador watched the two go at it. Maya was sitting on a chair next to the couch trying to find some peace and quiet by reading a book but it was rudely interrupted by the fight.

"I got you now you stupid piece of…" Before Axton could land the decisive blow, Zero pressed the counter button on his remote, blocked his attack and landed a super move on Axton's character.

"C-c-c-combo Breaker, you win!" yelled the video game announcer, declaring Zero the victor. Axton threw the remote at the television in frustration when he lost. Zero and Maya laughed at the Commando's injured pride while Salvador and Erick patted their friend on the back.

"Better luck next time amigo" Salvador said. Zero turned to his right and just stared at Axton.

"I don't want to hear it man, not one goddamn word" Axton grunted. He was in an oddly foul mood instead of his usual cocky one. It was because of the stress of the big attack tomorrow. He hadn't been in a real fight in a while and he felt he was a bit rusty. The others felt the same although they tried to hide it. Erick tried to lighten the mood by giving Axton some tips.

"Next time, use X down triple right square circle instead of triangle double down X left right bumper" Erick advised. Axton ignored his advice and continued to act like a cranky child. Erick frowned when Axton continued being his moody self.

"Ignore him Erick, it's just his time of the month again" Maya joked, poking fun of Axton's loss.

"Ha ha, very funny Maya!" Axton yelled sarcastically. The group turned around and noticed Lilith and Murphy standing behind them "Hello boss lady, where are you and Murphy going on such fine evening like this?" Axton asked dramatically.

"We're going to the diner to get some much needed R&R" Lilith answered. Axton just raised an eyebrow.

"I know what that's code for" Axton teased. Lilith shot a look of pure disdain when he took it too far. Axton turned around, afraid that Lilith was going to phase-blast him.

"Forget about him, he's just being a sore loser" Murphy said, trying to keep her from leaving a huge mess on the wall. Lilith shrugged and agreed with Murphy. The two walked out of the HQ and walked toward the diner.

"Don't be long now" Maya yelled, waving goodbye as they walked out the door. Murphy looked up at the setting sun as he felt the warmth of the rays and the cool wind on his skin.

"You got to love this sun" Murphy was enjoying every minute of being free from his suit. It was if he was born again.

"Yeah, it is a beautiful evening" Lilith smiled at the Enforcer, she was glad for him. It was hard for her to believe how something so trivial could bring someone such happiness but she understood why due to his unique circumstance "You could use a tan" she joked, taking a jab at his pale complexion.

"Look who's talking" Murphy laughed, commenting on her rather pale skin as well. Lilith shrugged, she had gotten used to her looks and paid no real mind to people's thoughts on her appearance. After a few minutes of walking, they made it to the diner and were greeted by a small yellow robot that looked like a box on a wheel.

"Hello sir and madam, welcome to the CL4P-TP D1N3R. I am the proprietor of this fine establishment, Claptrap" said the robot in a high pitched and annoying voice "We have received your reservations for this evening. I reserved the best and most romantic seat in the house just for you two. I'll be your server for this special occasion. Follow me." The two entered the empty diner and sat in the table smack dab in the middle. The table had roses in a glass vase filled with water and empty wine glasses on each side. There were two menus on the table which included special meals for tonight. Lilith and Murphy sat opposite of each other and Claptrap started blabbering again.

"While you're looking at the menu, trying to figure which of my scrumptious morsels you want fatten your face with, I'll come back with the best wine in the house. Complements of Handsome Jack's wine cellar" The robot rolled into the back to look for the wine. Murphy was pretty impressed with the interior, he was expecting a trash heap like Vito's back in Eden-5 but it turned out to look like a five star restaurant.

"This is a pretty neat place. I feel like I came here underdressed" Murphy joked.

"It's usually not like this. Claptrap must have put in some serious time and effort to make this dump look new" Lilith commended the robot for going such great lengths to try and make this night special "So Murphy…" Lilith started but Murphy interrupted.

"Since this is such a special occasion, call me by my first name, Jason" Murphy wanted to be a gentleman this evening as he wanted to be closer to the red haired Siren.

"Okay, Jason" Lilith replied "I heard through the grapevine that someone is having a birthday in the next seven days."

"Really, I wonder who's birthday it is?" Murphy said playfully. He knew she talked to A.N.N earlier in the day. Lilith just smiled as she continued to play coy with him.

"After we finish our mission in the Cauldron, we should celebrate the occasion with the others" Lilith replied, insisting he tell her about it. Murphy decided to stop playing around and be straight with her.

"You got me, I'm turning 38 in a couple of days" Murphy admitted.

"Time has been kind to you, you look like you are in your mid 20s" Lilith commented on how young Murphy looked "Anything in particular you want for your big day" Lilith leaned a bit closer to the table, her elbows on the table and chin resting on her knuckles.

"Easy, a music system for my helmet" Murphy said truthfully. Lilith started laughing at Murphy's odd request.

"Out of all the things in the universe, you want THAT" Lilith said in emphasis. She couldn't believe someone like Murphy could want something so childish.

"I've always wanted to hear some tunes for those long trips. If that's asking too much, I'll ask for something else."

"It's cool Jason, I'm just messing with you. I'll see if Gaige can build one for you."

"Thanks for that, you have no idea how hard it is to find one of those" Murphy said gratefully.

"Is there anything else you want?" Lilith asked again. Murphy just looked at the Siren and began stroking his chin with his fingers, contemplating what else he wanted.

"Well, there might be something else" Murphy said as he laid his gaze on the Siren. Lilith started blushing a bit, she knew what he meant. It changed into one of sadness as she remembered what happened to the last person she cared for. Murphy could tell he was making her uncomfortable so he decided to change the subject.

"Never mind about me, let's talk about you" said Murphy "since we are on the subject of age, how old are you?"

"32 to be exact, it's a good thing Sirens age gracefully" Lilith laughed.

"I thought you were like in your early 20's, guess old age has been kind to you and me" Murphy joined in the laughter. The two heard a crashing noise in the kitchen and soon heard Claptrap's screaming.

"For the last time, cook the beef at 120 degrees not 250 you overgrown trash can" yelled Claptrap.

"There's the diner I know and love" Lilith joked as she rolled her eyes. Murphy wanted to get back on the subject of knowing the Siren.

"Seems like you, Brick, and Mordecai are pretty close friends. How long have you known each other?" Murphy remembered how Brick was so happy to see Mordecai and Lilith earlier in the day.

"We've known each other since we were kids. We were brought together by our crazy dreams of being Vault Hunters when we grew up" Lilith began twirling her red hair with her finger when she began to reminiscing the years, she remembered trouble they got into as kids and smiled. It was like a distant memory to her, they have changed so much over the years. Murphy could relate as his younger sister always wanted to be a Vault Hunter.

"So you three came to Pandora together to look for the Vault?" Murphy asked as he tried putting the pieces of her story together.

"Not necessarily, we went our separate ways for a while" Lilith tried her best to remember how they were brought together again "I came to Pandora to learn more of my Siren heritage. I tracked down this Siren named Steele to get answers from her but she was eaten by a giant plate of calamari before I had the chance to speak to her" Lilith was referring to the Destroyer, a monster trapped in the Vault and slayed by the first four Vault Hunters "Mordecai came here looking for his old trainer, who was long dead before he arrived. Brick was looking for his younger sister, and Roland…" she paused when she remembered her old flame. She felt a sharp pain in her chest and a lump in her throat choked her words "Roland was one of the Crimson Lance stationed on Pandora" although it pained her, she continued to talk about the rest of her adventures. "So we decided to team up again and look for the Vault, just like we imagined it as kids. Man the trouble we got ourselves into, ancient monsters, zombies, and the Atlas Corporation. Whatever trouble stood in our way, we took it down head on, always coming out on top together until…" she tried her best to keep up her cheery exterior but she was also fighting back tears. Murphy knew she was hurting inside by the way she sounded when she mentioned Roland and everything they went through together.

"Lilith, are you okay?" Murphy was concerned for the Siren. He wanted to help her through all the grief she's been through and give her a happier life. He felt like he owed her for giving him the second chance he needed.

"No I'm not, Jason" Lilith said, almost at the verge of tears "Every time I try to keep it together, the pain just comes back, worse and worse. Roland was everything to me and now he's gone. And I can't help but feel like it was my fault. Maybe if I had just listened to him and stayed at HQ, maybe he would be here right now" the tears finally came flowing down her cheeks "But the thing that hurts the most is I never had the chance to tell him how much I loved him" the dam holding back an ocean of emotions finally burst through as her guilt weighed heavy on her "Part of me died with him, it's like I was the one Jack shot from behind." She placed her hand on her forehead and looked away from Murphy as she continued sobbing.

"I know what you're going through, I've been through the same as well" Murphy was talking about how he failed his sister and killed those people "I always tried to bottle it up and keep my cool but the guilt was still there, eating away at me" Murphy reached his hand out over the table to wipe the tears from her face. He placed his hand on her warm cheek and gently turned her head to face him "It took me all this time to finally realize that I didn't have to go through it alone. And neither do you." Lilith smiled as Murphy tried to comfort her.

"Some great leader I turned out to be" Lilith sobbed "I'm supposed to be the rock that holds everyone together and I'm crumbling to pieces."

"You've kept all these people safe haven't you" Murphy added as he tried to cheer the Siren up "Leaders are asked to guide the lost to the promise land, but they never have to go it alone. You have the others to rely on, and you have me too" Murphy was right. She had the Vault Hunters, her family, to guide her through her pain.

"Thank you, Jason" the pain in her chest slowly faded away as she looked into Murphy's eyes. She leaned her head on Murphy's hand and proceeded to place her hand on top of his. She smiled as she felt Murphy's warm touch on her cheek. The two had a moment, it was if the troubles of the world around them didn't exist and their grief just melted away. As Murphy looked back into her eyes, the two started moving in closer with the intention of kissing each other. The moment was ruined however when Claptrap came bursting through the room with the wine. The two moved away from one another when Claptrap arrived to the scene. Lilith looked embarrassed as her cheeks turned red and Murphy rubbed his forehead in frustration.

"Sorry for the hold up, I had to deal with an 'incident' back in the kitchen" Claptrap said raising his arms to make invisible air quotes "So food and drinks are on the house. Let me get this opened for you" Claptrap struggled to remove the top of the bottle. In frustration, Murphy snatched the bottle from his hand, popped it open and poured the purple liquid into the cups.

"Thanks for that" Murphy yelled, obviously mad at Claptrap for ruining the moment.

"No problem friendo" Claptrap was oblivious to what happened and just rolled back to the kitchen.

"Better luck next time I guess" Lilith joked, feeling much better "So Jason, what should we toast to?" Murphy smiled and raised his glass.

"A toast to a better future and the hope that good things start happening for the both of us."

"I'll drink to that" Lilith raised her glass and tapped Murphy's. They both took a sip of the wine and continued conversing with each other for the rest of the night.


	30. Chapter 29-Death From Above: Part 1

It was finally the day. The Vault Hunters waited on a small outcrop above the abandoned bandit town of Sawtooth Cauldron. Gaige and Erick were inside the town setting up their part of the plan while Brick and Mordecai were managing the Buzzards, waiting for the signal. Inside the camp, Loaders with state of the art weaponry were marching around, guarding the area. On the west of the camp was a large tower with a platform on the top of it. The Sawteeth once used it as a launch pad for their Buzzards before Brick and the Slabs wiped them off the map. The town now appeared completely different due to the occupation. It changed from a bandit outpost into a high-tech Hyperion stronghold, machinery and reinforced steel with Hyperion insignias replaced the rusty metal and bandit markings. The area is used by Hyperion as a means to transport explosives across Pandora to their troops. Near the bottom of the Cauldron where the camp was located, a cave entrance lied north of it. It was the only way to access the nest from the ground and it was where the Bomb Manufacturing Plant was. The Vault Hunters were prepared for an all-out war.

While Mordecai and Brick were getting the Buzzards in formation and Gaige and Erick were preparing the charges and the signal flare, the others waited over an outcrop overlooking the town. Murphy was standing near the ledge, looking at the camp through binoculars to see how Erick and Gaige were doing. He was suited up with his armor for the occasion. His helmet was sitting next to his feet on top of a case with the Underdome insignia on it and the words grand prize labeled on the side. Ari stood next to him as she worried for her brother's safety. Lilith and Maya sat on the ground behind them with bored looks on their faces. Montayva stood next to the Sirens, looking up at the sky with Junior perched on her shoulder. The bird was charged with her safety while Mordecai was with the Berserker in the air. Zero sat next to Axton on a rock, sharpening his blade with the intent of cutting his foes piece by piece. Salvador was standing behind Axton and Zero, grinding his teeth to dust with anticipation. Axton was playing with skag and stalker action figures, doing something rather odd with them.

"Look I'm sorry, I just can't give you that kind of information" said the Commando with a scared tone of voice, moving the stalker up and down as if it were talking. He made it appear that the skag was chasing the stalker "I'll do anything else I just can't do that. I can't betray my planet, I won't. This planet, gave me everything. Oh god, just keep him away from me! Please, don't let him near me! Oh no! Oh god!"

"Come on baby, just relax into it. Let Skagzilla do his thang" Axton said with a lower tone of voice, moving the Skag doll to make it look like its talking. Axton then made the Skag perform lewd actions with the stalker. Maya looked in disgust and began rubbing her eyes in frustration.

"Okay, that is wrong on so many levels" Maya yelled, greatly distressed by Axton's childish behavior.

"What do you expect, I'm bored as hell!" Axton groaned with exasperation, desperate to see some action. He threw the toys in the air and they landed right next to Salvador. The Gunzerker just crushed the toys as he stomped it to pieces with his boot in an attempt to entertain himself while waiting.

"Shut it Axton" Murphy ordered, still peering through his binoculars. Murphy was in no mood for Axton's bad attitude.

"Who put you in charge?" barked Axton.

"I did. Jason's in charge of the infiltration unit, remember?" Lilith answered. Maya and Montayva gave Lilith a look that screamed _what did I just hear?_ It was the first time they heard the Siren ever call Murphy by his first name. What happened between the two last night they wondered. Salvador was dozing asleep, he too was bored to tears.

"This is like watching grass dry" Salvador yawned "Are we ready yet, Tin Man?" Murphy did not respond and remained vigilant "I'll take that as a no."

"Great, first women, now the new guys" Axton muttered under his breath. Since his days in the military, Axton was forced to serve under women like his ex-wife and the Sirens. Now the Commando had to serve under someone who had barely stayed a month on Pandora. He felt he would never be on top of the command chain even with his years of experience. As much as he wanted to speak up and take charge, he'd rather not mess with a cybernetic killing machine, let alone the Sirens.

"I will now recite a Haiku expressing my feelings, originally written and recited by our friendly neighborhood assassin" Axton cleared his throat as he prepared to recite the poem in a monotone, almost robotic like voice, making fun of the way Zero spoke "Bor-ed, Bor-ed, Bored/Bored Bored Bored Bored Bored Bored Bored/I'm so friggin bored!" Zero knocked Axton off his seat by smacking him in the head with his sheath. Axton fell, landing face first onto the ground, Lilith and Maya laughed at his embarrassment.

"Silence, please Axton/I've just about had it with/your childish outbursts!" Zero exclaimed. Axton couldn't stand the humiliation of being shown up by Zero. He would normally make a cruel remark but he had gotten used to the Assassin besting him and considering the multiple times they've saved each other in those life and death scenarios, he'd let it slide for now. He stood up, dusted his pants with his hands and sat back on his spot. Montayva turned toward Lilith, she could tell Lilith was much more relaxed than normal. She knew Murphy's presence eased her mind. She also sensed how worried Lilith was for the Enforcer, she feared that she might lose him in this fight like she lost Roland during the original Hyperion occupation of the planet. Montayva could relate, she too was worried for Mordecai as he was managing the Buzzards while she was stuck on the ground. Maya flickered her gaze towards Murphy suggestively, feeling she'd missed out on some vital gossip. She then turned toward Lilith to ask her what was up.

"Hey Lilith, what's with you and Murphy? Did something happen between you two last night?" Maya asked, scooching closer to hear what happened between the two.

"Nothing, nothing happened" Lilith said rather quickly. It was far from the truth, something special did happen between the two. They grew closer to one another after that night and it showed when she looked at him.

"I'm not buying it. Come on! Tell me!" Maya urged, pouting teasingly at her. She pressed on cheekily, leaning closer to the red haired Siren.

"I'm being honest, we just had dinner and talked for a bit. That's all" Lilith said defensively. Montayva grew interested in the conversation and decided to sit next to Lilith. Montayva crossed her legs as she planted herself on the desert ground. She gave Junior a look and the bird flew off and perched himself on Murphy's helmet. When Murphy turned to find the bird on his helmet, he didn't mind. He and Junior had become good companions since his arrival to Sanctuary.

"You can tell us, we won't judge you" Montayva asked with a less forceful tone and a more friendlier one than her blue haired ally.

"Don't leave us hanging in suspense" Maya cooed as she nudged Lilith slightly on her shoulder with her elbow, trying to coax the information out of her. Maya stretched out her legs in front of herself and leaned back slightly, waiting for Lilith's answer.

"Girls, there's nothing between us. Jason's a good guy, so what?" Lilith shrugged. She curled her legs up closer to her body, wrapped her arms around her shins and placed her chin on top of her knees as she tried her best to hide it. It did not satisfy their curiosity however.

"Since when did you start calling him Jason?" Montayva inquired even though she already knew the answer.

"Oh my god!" Maya gasped as she came to the realization "You liiiike him don't you?" she smiled. Although she was teasing her, Maya was happy to see Lilith in a relationship again, especially after how closed hearted she was after Roland's death

"Well… I" Lilith stammered, having a hard time getting the words out.

"I'm glad for you" Montayva interrupted, knowing what she was going to say "It's hard to find a good man on a planet like this, especially one so cute" she was right, most of the men on the planet were either egotistical meat heads, perverts, thrill seeking cowboys with bad tempers, thick headed children acting out or were just plain rude. Salvador, Brick, and Axton were prime examples of what men were like on Pandora. Murphy was different than the rest, he treated everyone equally and was always respectful, even towards the opposite sex. These traits were rare for someone who grew up in such a hostile environment and someone who has been through so much grief. It was these experiences that shaped him into being the man he is. He wanted to be the better person even though it was hard during his time on his home world.

"Quit sitting around us harpies, go up and talk to him" Maya insisted. Lilith stretched out her legs and heeded her advice. She walked up next to Murphy to see what was going on. Before she spoke to Murphy, she noticed the worried look on Ari's face.

"What's wrong kiddo?" Lilith asked. Although she was a Vault Hunter, Ari was still a child at heart. She never really got used to the violence on Pandora and it showed through her fear of blood.

"I'm just worried" Ari answered truthfully.

"If it's about your problem, relax. This is mainly a Loader facility so we won't see any Hyperion soldiers" Lilith meant no disrespect and didn't think any less of Ari for her problem. It didn't help and it lowered Ari's self-esteem.

"It's not that, we haven't heard from Gaige or Erick in a while. I'm starting to worry about them" Ari answered. She worried for the two's safety, Erick was the only family she had on Pandora and Gaige was like an older sister to her. Murphy removed the binoculars from his eyes and turned toward the youngest Vault Hunter.

"Ace and Gaige can take care of themselves. If they were in any trouble, we would know" Murphy assured.

"Exactly" Lilith agreed "They would have radioed us ahead of time if things went bad."

"And the Loaders haven't tried attacking us yet so that's a sign they haven't been spotted" Murphy added. Ari felt better with their reassurance but she still was worried. Murphy decided to cheer her up by letting her in on a little secret "Hey, did I ever tell you about my fear of insects?" Murphy asked. Ari started giggling at Murphy's ridiculous claim.

"Liar" she laughed.

"It's true, he told me about it last night" Lilith interjected, wrapping her arm over her shoulders "And he's not the only with a ridiculous fear. I've been afraid of hospitals since I was 7" Lilith said truthfully.

"On a planet like this, those are rational fears. Hemophobia is a joke compared to those" Ari said.

"Maybe those are rational fears for a normal person but for one of the six Sirens of the universe and a metal head, those are irrational fears" Murphy insisted. Ari's mood shifted slightly as the two older Vault Hunters tried their best to cheer her up. She smiled slightly and she started feeling less embarrassed about her fear.

"You're a vital part of this team kiddo, remember that" said Lilith, bumping her knuckles under the young girl's chin as a sign of affection "Sit next to the girls for a minute, I need to ask Jason something" Ari walked away from the two and sat between Maya and Montayva. Lilith looked toward Murphy "Hey" she started.

"Hey" Murphy returned back at the Siren "Do you want to talk?" Lilith looked away from him and twirled her hair with her finger as she tried to find the words.

"Before we head out, there is something I wanted to…" Before Lilith could finish, Erick interrupted as his voice came through the Echo.

"Testing, one, two, three. Murph, can you hear me, it's Erick" Erick said through the Echo. Junior flapped his wings and carried Murphy's helmet with his talons. He handed the Enforcer his helmet and Murphy nodded in appreciation. Junior flew back to Montayva and perched back on her shoulder. Murphy wore his helmet over his head to hear Erick through his communicator.

"It's me Ace" Murphy answered "You in position?"

"This is Gaige, charges are primed and the flare is set" Gaige answered through the Echo "Are the birds ready to fly?"

"Slabs, its Brick. My boys are in formation and my fists are hungry!" Brick bellowed through the Echo.

"We're gonna to bring the thunder, just call us in and we'll be ready to go" Mordecai said through the Echo.

"Give me a second, I got a surprise for everyone" Erick said as he set off the flare. Murphy and the others could see it flying up in the air from their position. The minute it went up, music played through the speakers in the camp. Ari heard the tune and recognized it instantly.

"That's Flight of The Valkyries" she exclaimed.

"How did you know that?" Murphy asked.

"My grandfather and Erick heard it from a movie they used to watch together. It was one of their favorite war movies" She informed. Soon, the bombs attached to the tanks went off, one by one in unison, blanketing the camp in an explosion of fire.

"Okay Slabs, RIP'EM UP!" Brick bellowed. The sky was eclipsed as a swarm of Bandit Buzzards filled the sky. The swarm was led by a large two seated Buzzard with large chain guns under the wings and a large amount of bombs and missiles hanging from the undercarriage. The Bird was painted with a picture a rabid dog holding a grenade in its maw. The dog had the name "Priscilla" written on the tag of its collar. Brick and Mordecai were flying in that buzzard. Brick was piloting while Mordecai was sniping from his seat. They began a bombing run around the surrounding area of the old Buzzard's nest. The smell of burning oil and circuitry filled the air as the smoke flew up into the sky. Hyperion began its retaliation by sending in Jet Loaders from the Nest to combat the aerial reinforcements.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Air Kickass. This is Mordecai, I'll be your co-pilot for this evening" Mordecai joked through the Echo "We may experience some turbulence today as the weather is cloudy with a chance of fire and brimstone, so expect a bumpy ride. We hope you enjoy the flight" Mordecai hooked the Echo back on his belt and started sniping Jet Loaders down with his Slag Sloth. Brick tore up the encampments below with machine gun fire and missile explosions. Brick started humming to the tune of the song as he scorched earth, smiling while he did.

"Okay guys, time to punch in" Murphy shouted as the explosions almost drowned out his voice "Maya, Monty, Junior, give our boys in the sky some cover" Maya, Junior and Montayva nodded. Maya stood next to Montayva as the black haired Siren's tattoos began to glow and a purple haze surrounded them. The two traveled through the swirling vortex and disappeared in front of the group's eyes.

They reappeared on top of the Nest, teleporting to the center. The area was filled with Constructors, Surveyor drones, and Loaders. Montayva pulled out her Dalhminator from her holster and began firing at the Loaders surrounding them. Maya raised her hand as the tattoos on her arm glowed. She Phase-locked a Jet Loader in midflight. The robot was immobilized, surrounded by a purple energy ball. The Lock created a black hole effect that sucked in the loaders surrounding it. She gave a smirk, threw her hand in a downward motion and slammed the captured machines into the landing pad, causing an explosion of slag, fire, corrosion, and electricity to melt the Loaders away.

The Constructor opened fire on them but the blast was blocked by a shimmering purple dome. Montayva had her arm raised in the air and her Tattoos glowed as she was using her Siren powers to protect Maya and herself. Bullets and rockets could not enter the field but they could exit as demonstrated by Maya as she fired her Electric Bitch SMG at the Loaders. Junior flew off Montayva's shoulder and into the air, tearing apart Surveyor drones with his sharpened talons.

Back at the outcrop, the others prepared to play their individual roles "Finally some action!" Axton yelled, his trigger finger was itching as he gripped his Slag Veruc. Salvador was just as eager as he held a Corrosive Shredifier in one hand and a Shock Madhous! in the other "Come on, we're missing all the fun" Axton yelled with excitement. The two charged in head first down the pathway into the camp and opened fire on the surviving ground units.

"Let's do this, GUNZERK, ENGAGE!" yelled Salvador as he filled the Loaders with a fistful of lead, firing both LMGs in each hand. He smiled sadistically, enjoying the wanton destruction around him.

"Hello fellas, meet my lady friends" said Axton as he threw two storage deck units on the ground and digistructed a pair of Sabre Turrets. The Turrets were equipped with missile pods and 50 caliber Machine guns with slag cannons attached to the top of them. The guns tore through the enemies like paper while providing cover for the two thrill seekers with their Phalanx Shields. Axton fired his Veruc on the incoming Loaders and he gave his usual cocky grin while he did.

"Time to go to work" Zero exclaimed. He slid his blade back in the sheath on his belt and began climbing the cliff face while holding a Corrosive Hybridification over his shoulder, ready to provide covering fire for his allies. Murphy, Ari and Lilith were the only ones who remained. The Enforcer opened up the case sitting next to him and pulled out a Bandit Corrosive Blaster LMG. It was the prize he won back at the Underdome for surviving the Three Stages of Hell. It had an extended magazine, bigger than typical bandit rifles and was colored in black with red stripes on the side of the barrel. Moxxi called it the Heavy Metal, which was fitting in a way.

"Ready to get to work?" Murphy asked, also eager to complete the mission.

"You know it killer, now gather around and I'll phase us to Erick and Gaige's position. They should be near the entrance by now" Lilith smirked. Ari and Murphy gathered around and Lilith's tattoos began glowing. The group disappeared into a haze of purple and teleported to the other's location.


	31. Chapter 30-Death From Above: Part 2

"Hey Murph, what took you so long?" asked Erick as he greeted Lilith, Ari, and Murphy near the entrance to the factory.

"I was just admiring the show, Ace" Murphy said, commenting on the aerial assault before their arrival "How come it took you so long to set up the bombs and the flare?"

"I took a minor detour through the camp" Erick explained "After I finished setting up the charges and the flare, I went to the administrative office to hook up the song to the speaker system. I then connected it with the trigger to the flare so the song could play right at the moment of the slabs arrival. Pretty cool, huh?"

"You always had a flare for the dramatic" Ari said for lack of a better term.

"I have to admit, that was pretty awesome" said Lilith.

"I told him to worry about it later but boys will be boys" Gaige added. The five Vault Hunters turned toward the large door north of the camp, it was the entrance to the bomb plant. "So how do we get in?" Gaige asked as she examined the door "The door is heavily reinforced."

"We could just phase in" Lilith suggested.

"Normally I would agree with you but I'd rather not end up in the dead center of a heavily guarded Hyperion facility" Gaige warned.

"I'll freeze the door so you can knock it down" Ari said. She placed her hands on the metal door and slowly froze it with her Siren powers. Ice soon covered the metal door entirely, weakening its once sturdy, structural integrity. Murphy was impressed by the young girl's abilities and nodded in amazement "Murphy, if you would be so kind and ring the doorbell?" she said as she stepped away from the door and waved her arm to her side to direct the Enforcer.

"Don't mind if I do" Murphy said as he cracked his metal knuckles "Get ready for a fight guys" he instructed. Lilith pulled out her Hellfire SMG and checked her ammo belt. Gaige flexed her metal arm in anticipation and pulled out her Hyperion Shock Plasma Caster. Erick pulled out an Electric E-Tech Dahl Blaster colored in a platinum finish and heavily modified. Murphy eyed the rifle and inquired what it was.

"Nice rifle, Ace. What is it?" Murphy asked.

"This is Mjolnir, I made her myself" Erick said proudly "Unlike your typical Dahl Rifle, Mjolnir can fire fully automatic inside and outside of scoped fire. She can hold up to 60 rounds thanks to the extended magazine. When it's on the full auto setting, it fires ten rounds per second. If you hate that, flip the switch on the right side of the barrel and switch it to semi auto fire. It becomes a gauss rifle, firing a super charged round that can pierce through almost anything. Basically, it's the perfect assault and sniper rifle combo pack." Erick pointed at the grey switch on the side. When it was on the green, it would be full auto but on red it was semi auto. Murphy nodded in approval of his weaponry. He looked at Ari and noticed she didn't have any weapons with her.

"Where's your gun kid?" Murphy asked. An icy mist began flowing around Ari's body and formed angel wings on her back as her tattoos started glowing.

"I'll be fine Murphy, I've gotten used to using only my powers in a fight" she smirked. Murphy shrugged, he wasn't going to argue with her. After everyone nodded to show they were ready, Murphy clenched his fist and slammed it on the door, shattering it into small pieces of shrapnel. When they looked inside, the area was filled with Loaders, manufacturing large amounts of explosive munitions and heavy artillery. The machines averted their attention from their current activities and stared at the Vault Hunters with their bright red eyes.

"Honey, we're home!" Erick shouted. Murphy and Erick took point and charged in, guns blazing, into the facility. While Erick's Mjolnir was zapping enemies and overloading their systems, Murphy's Heavy Metal melted Loaders with corrosive rounds. Lilith came in next, phasing herself in the middle of the facility. As the purple haze filled the area, she surrounded herself in a sphere of fire and detonated it, burning the Loaders near the area. She killed the stragglers with the Hellfire.

"DT, do your thing" Gaige lifted her robot arm and digistructed Death-Trap into existence. Her science project began flying all over the place, melting machines with thermal sonic lasers, cutting them apart with Digistruct Claws and blowing them to bits using an explosion created from a clap of his hands. Ari climbed up the catwalk and placed her hands on the floor, freezing the ground under the Loaders. The ice slowly crawled up their legs and metal bodies as they were frozen in place. DT flew up and melted the machines with his lasers. Gaige ducked under some boxes to find cover, firing her Caster in and out of it at the Loaders. Murphy and Erick were then surrounded by Sergeant Loaders holding new and improved Hyperion weaponry and Power Loaders with reinforced plating.

"Back to back!" Murphy yelled.

"Got it!" Erick complied. The two turned their backs toward one another and fired at the Loaders in front of them. Murphy digistructed his Slag Cannon over his left arm and fired an orb at the crowd to soften up the Loaders. The air was filled with the residue, creating a fog of Slag which weakened the Loaders around them.

Erick fired his weapon using his metal arm while firing hot plasma and lightning with his right arm. Murphy fired his Heavy Metal at the crowd, tearing through the machines like paper. He digistructed his Tri-Grenade Launcher on his left arm, replacing the Slag cannon. He fired three Meteor Shower grenades into the remaining crowd of machines. The grenades spawned multiple child grenades and wiped the Loaders off the map with multiple explosive blasts. Two Loaders were left surrounding Erick and Murphy, one a Sergeant while the other was a Power one. The Power flailed its arms at Murphy while the Sergeant charged into Erick with a Bayoneted rifle. Erick and Murphy turned and nodded toward each other as they ran toward their respective Loaders.

Murphy caught the Power Loader's arms with his hands, showing off his sheer strength. He kicked the machine in its metal face, causing him to fly into a wall while he ripped its arms off and threw them onto the ground. Erick sliced the Sergeant with his digistruct claws, cutting it up until it was scrap metal. Lilith and the others had a look of awe when they saw Murphy and Erick in action. They were amazed at how two super egos, once heated rivals, could become such a cohesive unit. They smiled as the two continued to lay waste to Hyperion machinery. Lilith phased herself toward Ari's location near the catwalk above and melted the Loaders behind Ari with a snap of her fingers. Fire flew from her hand and burned the machines. The two then combined their Siren abilities by grabbing each other's hands and lifting the other ones in the air. They created an explosion of fire and ice which consumed the machines, freezing then melting them.

Soon, the Sirens were surrounded by Angelic Loaders, retrofitted for capturing Sirens. During Jack's rule of the planet, the machines were charged with guarding Angel, Jack's daughter and one of the Sirens, while she charged the Vault Key in her chambers. Now they were part of Johnson's Special Forces, created for the sole purpose of capturing a Siren to charge the key

"Siren presence detected. Initiating capture protocols" said the Loader. It fired capture collars from its wrists to subdue the Siren's. Lilith ducked to avoid the collar but Ari was not as fortunate. The device wrapped around her neck and locked in place, draining her of her power as the collar light turned bright red. She fell to her knees as the device weakened her.

"Lilith, help" Ari yelped as she struggled to remove the collar. Lilith averted her gaze toward the youngest Siren and tried to help her. The Loaders were ready to move in for capture procedures until Erick phased himself and Murphy toward his sister's location.

"Get the hell away from my sister!" yelled Erick. Electricity discharged from his body, forming wings like the Sirens' wings. The appearance was more demonic than angelic however. As lightning surged through his eyes, he charged straight into the fray, pulling out a highly conductive sword from his belt. It was called the Brother's Sword. He attacked the machines using both his claws and the sword; he fought with the ferocity of Brick and the skill and cunning of Zero. Murphy provided Erick with covering fire by directing his rifle at the enemy machines. DT also aided the Brother as he joined in the carnage and sliced the machines. Finally, the facility was cleared out, the Vault Hunters regrouped at the catwalk and surrounded Ari to check her condition. Erick ran toward his sister to see if she was safe.

"Ari, are you okay?" Erick showed a great deal of concern for her condition as he kneeled down and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"I can't breathe" she answered as she struggled to get the words out. Murphy kneeled down and wrapped his fingers around the collar.

"Hold still" Murphy instructed, he effortlessly crushed the collar and freed the youngest Vault Hunter. Ari coughed as she caught her breath and massaged her throat with her hand. Erick and Ari hugged, both glad to see each other safe and unharmed. Erick looped her arm over his shoulder to help her up. Ari's powers were returning to her but she still felt weak in the knees. Erick turned toward Murphy and smiled.

"Thanks Murph, I owe you one" Erick said gratefully.

"No need Ace, that's what families do for each other" Murphy responded. The two pounded each other's knuckles as they celebrated victory. Erick and Murphy turned toward the destruction they caused and made lite of the stressful situation.

"I got 27 loaders, how many did you get?" Murphy joked.

"I lost count at 35" Erick said. Ari started laughing as the two counted score.

"Well I took out 48 so it looks like I win" Lilith said playfully. She smirked as she walked passed Murphy seductively and traced her hand over his shoulder when she walked away, catching his eye. Erick was going to ask how she counted but Murphy placed his hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"Ace, one thing I've learned in all my years is to never argue with a woman. You may want to write that down" Murphy advised as he nodded slightly toward Gaige, giving him an idea of how to be a gentleman in his relationship. Erick shrugged and took his word for it.

"Okay, as much as I enjoy the bromance between you two, we need to look for the bomb" Gaige said with DT hovering behind her and digistructing himself back in her arm. Murphy and Erick complied and began their search for the device they needed.


	32. Chapter 31-Death From Above: Part 3

Meanwhile, back outside the facility, inside the center of the camp, Axton and Salvador continued killing Hyperion machinery on the ground. Axton's Sabre Turrets were out of ammo and rockets, the Phalanx shields were down and the two Vault Hunters' rifles were running dry.

"Fuck, no more bullets!" Salvador screamed as he angrily threw his rifles on the ground.

"I'm out too!" yelled Axton as he dropped his rifle. The two were confronted by two RPG Loaders and a War Loader "Wow, this got serious" Axton commented on the situation. Axton and Salvador raised their hands in surrender. Suddenly, they noticed a shimmer of light from the cliff behind them and turned their heads. They turned toward each other and smiled confidently.

"Tú quieres hacerlo?" asked Salvador.

"Be my pleasure" said Axton. Axton walked forward, raised his hands and pointed his fingers at the Loaders, like a pair of pistols.

"I'm warning you" Axton started "I am a lethal killing machine. It was a secret Dahl experiment, they did shit to me. Spooky shit, anal shit" he shrugged "Turned me into a dangerous telekinetic."

"Ay dios mío" Salvador grunted, shaking his head and rolling his eyes at Axton's overdramatic acting. Axton hushed him and continued.

"As the ancient Promethean philosophy states; don't start none, won't be none" Axton finished. The Loaders turned toward one another , then gave Axton a good hard look.

"Die!" The Loaders shouted as they pointed their weapons.

"Pow!" Axton shouted, he recoiled his right hand like a pistol firing. The Loader on his right fell on its back and died "Pew!" Axton shouted again as he did the same with his left and the Loader on his left fell dead. He pointed both hands at the War Loader in the middle, the machine quivered in fear as it could not compute how he did that "Face down, or I'll make your core stop functioning with my mind" Axton warned.

"Error! Error! Error!" yelled the remaining Loader. It turned the barrel of its own weapon to face itself and pulled the trigger, committing self-termination. Axton and Salvador started laughing and turned around to stare at the cliff behind them.

"Thank you Zero" Axton said through his Echo as he gave him a thumbs up and thanked the Assassin for his support. Back at the cliff, Zero nodded toward them as he accepted the thanks. Zero was the one who killed the machines with his Hybridification sniper rifle while Axton was performing his act.

"Stay focused my friends/another wave approaches/ restock your ammo" Zero instructed through his Echo as he peered through the scope.

"Zero ain't kidding" Mordecai responded through his Echo, verifying the Assassin's statement, peering through his scope as he flew in the Buzzard "Loader Reinforcements are approaching north of your location."

"Yeah, more shit to kill!" Salvador exclaimed.

"Hate to disappoint you but this group is way too big for you two to handle alone. We're sending more birds to your position" Mordecai informed.

"I'll join you as well/aiding you in your struggle/Now prepare yourselves" Zero said. He pulled out his sword and began his climb down the cliff. Axton and Salvador sighed in disappointment.

"There goes the fun" Salvador groaned, pouting like a spoiled child.

"Can't be selfish" Axton shrugged as he tried to keep his cool "Let's stock up on ammo and see if we can do some more damage" Axton and Salvador picked up their weapons and started scavenging ammo from the bodies of the fallen machines.

"You think Tin Man and the others found what they were looking for?" Salvador wondered, flipping a Loader's body over with his rifle.

"I hope not, I want to get as much action outta this as possible" Axton grinned, reloading his Veruc.

Back in the air, Brick and Mordecai continued their bombardment of the area. The slabs hadn't suffered any casualties although some birds were shot out of the air by the Jet Loaders. Surprisingly, Brick's crew functioned more like an army than the typical bandit clan. During their conception, the slabs were made up of psychotic killers with little to no brain functionality to speak of. Under Brick's guidance and after the demise of Jack and the Sawteeth however, the slabs became the most feared faction in all of Pandora. Montayva, Maya, and Junior continued to keep the reinforcements grounded on the Buzzard's Nest to lay some heat off their boys in the sky.

"Damn, this is awesome. I haven't had this much fun in a long time" Brick bellowed as he shot down two more Jet Loaders.

"And you wanted to be on the ground" Mordecai shouted as he pulled the trigger on his rifle and shot down Surveyor drones. "Now let's head back to the nest and see if we can't… Holy shit!" Mordecai yelled as machine gun fire and missiles whizzed past the right of their Buzzard. He unbuckled his seat belt, looked out the side door with his Sloth and noticed two Jet Loaders on their tail "Keep her steady Brick, I'll try and even the odds" Mordecai instructed, aiming his rifle at the Loaders.

"Be quick Mordy, the girls are in trouble" Brick yelled as he peaked out the side door and noticed Montayva and Maya in trouble. The girls were low on ammo and they were surrounded by enemies.

"We can't keep this up much longer" Maya yelled as she fired two slugs from her Greed revolver at the incoming Loaders.

"Maya, duck!" said Montayva as she pushed Maya to the side and lifted her arm in the air. Multiple Loaders exploded when her tattoos started glowing, their metal and oil splattered all over the ground. Junior pecked out the optics of a Constructor, causing it to flail out of control and kill its fellow machines with weapon fire. It was not enough however as more Hyperion machines just came out of the wood work. Both Sirens and Junior were exhausted. Montayva formed a shield around them to buy some time.

"I'm tapped out" Maya huffed as she wiped the sweat from her brow with her forearm.

"I'm feeling drained as well" Montayva panted as she struggled to keep the shield up. Junior landed near her feet as the bird was out of breath "And I guess we're not the only ones" Montayva said with a proud look on her face. She smiled as she remembered how much Junior had changed, the goofy little creature she met years ago had become a true bird of prey.

"How are we on ammo?" Maya asked as she reloaded her Greed.

"We're low on pistol rounds. We need to make them count" Montayva tossed Maya spare rounds for her pistol.

"It's never easy is it?" Maya joked giving a tired smirk "Just keep the shield up as long as you can, Brick and Mordecai should be here soon" She reloaded her pistol and carefully aimed at the Loaders' eyes as she tried to kill them with little effort.

Back in the air, Mordecai aimed carefully at the Loaders behind them, his dreadlocks flew in his face as wind blew through them. Mordecai moved his dreadlocks out of his eyes, took a deep breath and squeezed the trigger. The bullet left the barrel of his sniper and the Loader fell crashing down. It fell near the flight path of another Loader under them, colliding with it and exploding in flight.

"Ha! That's one for the highlight reels" Mordecai yelled. He was ready to take out the other Loader until Brick pulled him back in "What the hell man, I had the shot!" Mordecai scolded.

"Eyes ahead dumbass!" Brick yelled as he slammed the back of his fist on Mordecai's chest. He pointed his thick finger in front of the Hunter's eyes and pointed out a Loader, flying straight toward them.

"Oh crap, bastard's playing chicken with us" Mordecai said, a sadistic smile appeared over his face "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Damn straight! Buckle up, this is gonna be fun" Brick shouted with the same smile on his face. As the two Loaders grew closer to their target and placed them into a tight position, Mordecai buckled his seat belt and Brick pushed the steering wheel down. They dive bombed down toward the ground. The Loaders had little to no time to react and crashed into each other. The two pilots laughed as they murdered the machines with quick thinking and trickery. Brick pulled the wheel up and pushed the gear on the side down as he returned the bird to level. The pair flew over the Nest, ready to provide support to the Sirens and Junior. Montayva's shield was flickering in and out of existence and Maya was only able to Phase-Lock the Constructor for a short time.

"Mordecai, take the wheel. It's time for a badass air drop!" Brick ordered. He handed the Hunter the steering wheel. Brick unbuckled his belt and stood up with the intention of jumping out the bird.

"Wait, you're not gonna…" Before Mordecai could finish, Brick jumped out of the Buzzard in midair "Crazy bastard" he scoffed at Brick's reckless abandon. While falling, Brick grabbed onto a Jet Loader's back while it was in flight.

"Increased load detected" said the Loader as it started swerving out of control. Brick punched a hole into its back and pulled out the wires from its mainframe. Brick grabbed on to the wires and used them to steer the Loader toward the Constructor attacking the Sirens, his intention was to ram it into the Constructor.

"I can't hold on much longer" Montayva said, sweating bullets and kneeling on the floor. Her shield had finally disappeared, leaving the Sirens vulnerable. The Constructor prepared to fire its missiles at the group.

"Goodbye" said the machine. Maya and Montayva closed their eyes tightly, thinking it was the end. Then they heard a familiar screaming, it was Brick on top of a Jet Loader.

"Over here you metallic jackass!" Brick bellowed. The Constructor averted its gaze from its original targets toward the sky. Brick jumped off the Loader and onto the landing pad. The Berserker landed feet first next to the Sirens and Junior while the Loader crashed into the Constructor. The machines detonated as they made contact and died. Brick pulled out his Ravager shotgun and fired his weapon at the remaining Loaders. Mordecai's Buzzard appeared over the platform and aided the others by firing missiles and chain gun rounds at the Loaders.

"I got this" Mordecai assured as he tore through the crowd. Although he wasn't as skilled as Brick in Buzzard warfare, Mordecai showed he was quite adept in midair combat. Brick sprinted toward the survivors with a crazed look in his eyes and proceeded pounding them to death with his fist. Circuitry and oil splattered all over the Berserker's fists and face as he ripped the machines apart piece by piece. Montayva and Maya smiled, glad to see Brick and Mordecai giving them a hand. Who would have believed we would be the ones who needed saving they thought. After the platform was clear, Mordecai landed the Buzzard on platform and rushed toward Montayva and Junior. The bird flew up to his master and perched himself on his shoulder, happy to see Mordecai safe.

"What took you so long?" Montayva asked, as she brushed a loose strand of hair over her ear and raised her hand toward Mordecai.

"Got caught up in traffic" Mordecai joked. He grabbed Montayva's hand and pulled her up.

"Now that was awesome!" Brick bellowed as he slammed his fists together.

"Yeah, for you maybe, it was pain in the ass for us" Maya joked as she picked herself up. Brick walked toward the Hyperion banner, lowered it and ripped it from its pole. He replaced it with the Slab Banner and raised it high as he celebrated victory over Hyperion.


	33. Chapter 32-Death From Below

After a long battle, the enemies were defeated. Axton, Salvador, and Zero had cleared out the camp in the center of all hostiles. The Buzzards had wiped out the remaining encampments and cleared the skies. Brick and the others had cleared the landing pad while Murphy and his team killed the factory workers. The team on the landing pad was waiting for any news from Murphy's team. Brick was directing his Buzzards over the nest, ordering them to pick up supplies from the fallen Loaders to restock for the next big fight. Maya and Montayva were sitting on some crates, trying to catch their breath after a long heated battle while Mordecai was prepping Brick's Buzzard for take-off with Junior on his shoulder.

"That's it Slabs, keep it going" Brick said directing the Buzzards. Maya wondered how Axton and his team were doing. She picked up her Echo and started talking through it.

"Axton, it's Maya. How are things on the ground?" she asked, wiping some sweat off her chin with the back of her wrist.

"All clear down here, just waiting on Murphy and the boss lady" Axton was referring to Lilith "How are things up on the tower?"

"We've secured the perimeter and Brick's crew are gathering some extra munitions" Montayva huffed, still catching her breath.

"You two sound worn out, what did we miss up there?" Axton wondered.

"We were in a tight spot for a while but Brick and Mordecai saved us just in the nick of time" Maya said, breathing heavily.

"Lucky, things were pretty boring down here. I was hoping for an all-out battle but we breezed through these hunks of junk with no problems. Guess you guys had all the fun" Axton bragged over the Echo as he kicked a deceased Loader in the face.

"It wasn't exactly a fiesta but at least we got to shoot stuff" Salvador said, uncaring of the Sirens' condition.

"Pathetic machines/ Inferior craftsmanship/ Unfit of my blade" Zero said through the Echo.

"Maybe next time you girls are in trouble, I'll swoop in and save the day as usual" Axton teased. Maya and Montayva laughed at the Commando's arrogant claim.

"If you showed up, WE would be the ones pulling your sorry ass out of the fire and not the other way around" Maya shot back at Axton through the Echo.

"Whatever, we're heading back to the camp. Let us know when you hear from the others" Axton shrugged. He and his team walked back to the outcrop to wait for any news of the bomb. After the Slabs had left with their supplies, a purple haze filled the area as Lilith phased her team to the top of the nest. Murphy was carrying a blast core with the right amount of payload they needed for Lynchwood while Erick was carrying a weakened Ari in his arms. The others gathered around them to see if the mission was a success.

"Hey Slabs, you find the bomb?" Brick asked, removing some wires and oil off his face with a handkerchief. He then noticed Ari in the Brother's arms, barely conscious "What happened?"

"Angelic Loaders, they planted a device on Ari that drained her powers, bastard's growing more desperate by the day" Lilith cursed Johnson with all her heart.

"Was it like the device Duraph used?" Maya asked, remembering the device that drained Lilith and her own powers.

"No, it was more like Jack's control collar. From now on, we need to be more careful" Lilith informed, with the Sirens nodding in agreement. Erick looked at his sister with concern, it was rare for him to see her in such a weakened state.

"Don't worry about me, tell them what we've found" Ari said in a quiet, almost frail voice. Murphy stood forward to tell them about the core.

"It's not a bomb yet but with the right supplies, we could turn the blast core into a thermite charge. It should melt the entire mine in a matter of seconds" Murphy informed.

"My boys back in Thousand Cuts can make it" Brick bellowed. Murphy handed the core to the big man and punched some numbers into his wrist.

"I'm sending the instructions to make the bomb through your Echo, should take about a week or so to complete" Murphy said confidently. Mordecai patted Brick on the shoulder to tell him his Buzzard was ready.

"Bird's ready Brick, you should head back to Thousand Cuts with the bomb" Mordecai advised. Brick looked back at Erick to tell him something.

"My bird's got an extra seat, I'll take the youngin back to Sanctuary on my way home" Brick said. Erick appreciated Brick's offer and placed Ari in his large arms. Ari shook her head, she did not want to leave yet.

"I can't leave, you need my help" Ari started coughing again, she began rubbing her throat with her hand. Erick smiled, proud of his little sister, she had grown up so much and still remained the kind hearted little girl he grew up with. He patted her on her head gently and moved strands of hair out of her face.

"You've done enough Ari, save your energy for the next fight. Get some rest, big brother won't be long" Erick promised. Ari smiled and closed her eyes, resting in Brick's arms. The Berserker gently placed her on the passenger's seat, placed the charge in the undercarriage's compartment under the bird, hopped in the driver's seat and prepared for take-off.

"Later guys, see you when I get back" Brick yelled over the roar of his engines. The bird took off and disappeared into the sky, the Vault Hunters waved goodbye and wished him good luck.

"Since we're here, let's loot the bodies and see if we can find anything useful. Maybe the Slabs left something behind" Murphy instructed. The group agreed and started looking for weapons and ammo from the fallen. At first, they didn't find anything useful but the extra rounds were of benefit. Murphy radioed Axton to let them know the mission was a success.

"Axton, it's Murphy, we got what we came here for. Meet us back in the tower" Murphy said through the Echo.

"No problem, Axton out" he answered back in the Echo. Murphy looked at Lilith as she was looting a downed Jet Loader for an elemental pistol that caught her eye. Murphy remembered Lilith wanted to tell her something before Erick interrupted her. He walked up to her and stood next to her right "Hey Lilith" Murphy started. Lilith stopped what she was doing and turned toward Murphy.

"Hey Jason" she answered back.

"You wanted to ask me something before, what was it?" Murphy asked. Lilith had a slight blush on her cheeks when she started talking.

"I was wondering if, you know, like me" she asked.

"That's a stupid question to ask, of course I do. We're family, remember?" he answered. Lilith's face grew redder, she knew Murphy didn't understand what she meant.

"I mean _like _like me" Lilith clarified. Murphy began rubbing his helmet, he didn't know what to say to her.

"Well, I don't know, I think I do. It's just complicated" Murphy stammered. He knew the two had a connection last night before Claptrap acted like an idiot and ruined the moment.

"What makes it complicated?" she asked out of genuine curiosity.

"Well, it's just that we've only known each other for such a short time. I mean, we're two different types of people" he added "How could we make something like this work? You're a Siren and I'm half machine." Lilith stepped closer, taking his metal hand in her own.

"Maybe you're right, it's crazy but who says something like this is simple" she joked giving him a small smile. Murphy was going to say something else until he heard a beeping noise from the deceased Loader next to them. It had begun self-detonation procedures. Murphy knew what it meant and he rushed in front of Lilith, protecting her with his Riot Shield.

"Lilith, get behind me!" he yelled. The Loader exploded, Murphy was able to block the blast but the force of the explosion knocked both Lilith and Murphy off the ledge "Lilith, Lilith!" screamed Murphy as they hurdled toward the ground. Lilith was knocked unconscious by the blast and she remained unresponsive to Murphy's cries. The others saw what happened and rushed near the ledge.

"Lilith!" Mordecai yelled as he saw his oldest friend fall off the ledge. Murphy reached out and grabbed her, holding her tight in his arms as they fell to the ground at rapid speed. Murphy used his momentum to turn his back toward the ground. He planned on using his metal body to absorb the impact, maybe use it to save Lilith he thought. Before they even touched the ground, Maya stretched out her arm and Phase-Locked them in midair, saving them for the moment.

"Nice catch Maya" Gaige said, commending her for the save.

"Be quiet, I'm trying to focus" Maya urged. Sweat dripped from her chin profusely, she wasn't at a hundred percent and was still fatigued from her battle with the Loaders. She tried to gently lower them to the ground but her powers finally gave out on her. The Lock had faded and the two continued falling. They fell hard near a dirt plain just north of the Nest. Murphy and Lilith made impact with the ground but thanks to Maya's quick thinking, they were able to survive the fall as she slowed their momentum.

"Damn that smarts" grumbled Murphy as he made impact. He looked up and saw Lilith lying on top of his chest. She had a small cut on her forehead, blood dripped down the side of her face and her body appeared limp. Murphy gently rolled her off of him and cradled her head in his arms "Lilith, wake up, please be alive" Murphy begged as he held her close. Lilith slowly started stirring and she opened her eyes slightly.

"Jason" she said as her vision returned to focus "Are we dead?" she asked. Murphy chuckled for a minute.

"Far from it" he answered with a sigh of relief "Can you walk?" Lilith winced in pain and grabbed her right ankle.

"I can't, I think my ankle's broken" she answered, grabbing her leg in pain. Axton's voice was heard from the Echo when he heard the explosion.

"Guys, what the hell was that? I heard that all the way from here" Axton asked with concern.

"It was a Loader Axton, it detonated right in front of us" Murphy answered "Lilith and I got blasted off the nest. I'm fine but Lilith's hurt bad. Get your asses over here as soon as you can."

"Where are you Tin Man?" Salvador asked.

"We're near a dirt mound just north of the nest, how soon can you get here?" Murphy asked as he tried to care for the injured Siren.

"We'll be there momentarily" Zero answered. Suddenly, Erick appeared behind the Enforcer and the injured Siren, he used his phase powers to teleport to their location.

"Murph, how's Lilith doing?" Erick asked as he knelt next to him.

"She's hurt bad Ace, phase us back to the fast travel and help me…" Before Murphy could finish, a giant Thresher came popping out of the ground with his tentacles flailing all over the place. Before Murphy and Erick could react, the Thresher swatted Murphy away into a rock wall. The Enforcer hit the wall with great force, his visor and helmet cracked and he was knocked out cold as his body fell limp on the ground.

"Jason!" Lilith yelled, she tried to run toward him but she fell back on the ground. Her ankle was still broken and she cringed in pain. The Thresher was ready to attack the Siren until the Brother fired Mjolnir into one of the Thresher's eyes to grab its attention.

"Over here you overgrown vermin" Erick yelled, he continued to fire at the beast's face to keep it occupied until Axton and his team arrived. The Thresher dug its tentacles deep into the ground and burrowed them right under the Brother's feet. The tentacles surfaced from the ground and slapped Erick in his eyes, causing him to fly back and hit the rock wall. His rifle flew out of his hands and slid toward Murphy, hitting the unconscious Enforcer in the head. Erick placed his hand over his eyes, he was blinded. The impact from the Thresher's attack had severed the implants in his eyes .

"I can't see" said Erick as he crawled blindly, looking for his weapon. Lilith, Erick, and Murphy were at the mercy of the beast. It readied itself to slam its tentacles on the intruders until a hail of bullets over the cliff next to it started raining down on its back.

"Sonríe hijo de puta!" yelled Salvador. Axton, Salvador, and Zero made it in time to save the others. The Thresher however shrugged off the bullets and prepared to assault the others.

"Damn it, this ain't working" Axton yelled "We gotta get down there now!"

"We can't just leave yet. If we don't stay here and provide covering fire, Tin Man and the others will end up worm food" argued Salvador as he fired his weapons at the beast.

"Monty, can you phase us down there?" asked Axton through the Echo.

"I'm too weak, I can't muster up enough energy to phase you there?" Montayva informed through the Echo.

"Then what are we supposed to…" before Axton could ask what to do next, Zero rushed past between the two men and jumped off the cliff. Axton and Salvador tried to stop him but it was too late.

"Zero!" Salvador yelled as the Assassin dive bombed toward the creature, sword in one hand and kunai knives in the other.

"Does that crazy ninja have a death wish!" Axton angrily re-aimed his Veruc to avoid hitting Zero. Zero threw his kunai into the eyes of the beast, attaching themselves inside of its pupils. The knives detonated, blood spewed from its eyes as it recoiled in pain. Zero landed feet first on top of the Thresher's head and planted his sword deep into its skull. Zero drove it deeper into the beast, holding on to his blade for dear life as the creature tried to shake him off. Lilith crawled toward Murphy to see if he was still alive.

"Jason, wake up! Don't die on me, please wake up!" Lilith cried as her eyes started to water up. For a moment, her heart felt like it had been stabbed with a rusty blade. She began wondering if she had again lost someone she cared about because of her actions. The only reason Murphy was like this was because he risked his life for her. Lilith was about to give in to despair until she saw his hand moving. Murphy slowly picked himself up and looked toward Lilith through his broken visor.

"Lilith…" he started as he slowly regained motor function.

"Thank god you're okay" Lilith shouted, smiling for joy in seeing Murphy alive. He tried stand on his own two feet again but he struggled greatly. He could barely see with his helmet. He tried pulling it off but the locks on it were jammed shut. In frustration, he jabbed the side of his helmet with his fist to crack it open. After the crack had formed in the middle of it, he placed his hand on both sides of his helmet and ripped it off, tearing it in half and revealing his face. His face was covered in cuts and bruises, blood seeped down the corner of his lip. He had suffered several internal injuries from the impact of the Thresher's attack. He turned toward the Thresher and noticed Zero and Erick were in danger. He picked up Mjolnir which was sitting beside him, switched it to semi auto fire and limped heavily toward the beast.

"Jason, stop it! It'll kill you!" Lilith begged as she grabbed Murphy's hand. Murphy shook her off and continued trudging toward the Thresher. He lifted the gun up and began firing at its face.

"Hey you overgrown shit eating meat sack, why go for the small fries when you can have the main course!" Murphy yelled as he shot a round into the beast. The round when through its side and it began screaming in pain, opening up its maw.

"Now quickly Murphy/ This is our moment to strike/ Land the killing blow!" Zero demanded. Murphy digistructed his Tri-Grenade Launcher, his vision began blurring as he tried aiming at it. When his vision cleared, Murphy fired the grenades down its gullet. Zero jumped off of the beast's head, removing his sword from its skull. Zero rolled toward Erick's position to help the Brother out of harm's way. The beast wrapped its tentacles around its throat as the grenades attached themselves to its esophagus. The grenades went off, detonating the Thresher's head. A geyser of blood erupted from where its head used to be and it fell with a thud. Axton and Salvador cheered as the beast was slain and their friends were safe again.

"He wasn't so tough" Murphy bragged as he dropped his rifle. The adrenaline began wearing off and the pain started setting in. Murphy fell on his knees and coughed up gallons of blood. Lilith crawled toward him and held his face with both hands. She ripped an insta-health from her belt as she tried to heal him.

"Jason, stay still while I heal you" Lilith said. She tried to inject the vile into his neck and he refused, stopping her before she could inject him.

"Worry about yourself, I'm fine" he coughed up even more blood as he tried to speak. A tear ran down Lilith's cheek, she couldn't bare the sight of him in pain. Murphy lifted his face to look in her eyes, he couldn't stand the sight of her sadness.

"Don't talk, your injured. Let me help you" she begged. Before she could heal him, Murphy's veins started glowing bright blue and he screamed in pain "Jason!" she yelled, thinking he was about to die. Slowly, Murphy's cuts and bruises began healing slowly, the Nanites were working their healing magic on him. After a few short moments, Murphy was fully healed, Lilith couldn't believe her eyes. She saw Murphy dying in front of her a few moments earlier and now he looked as if he was never injured at all. Murphy looked at Lilith again and reached up to brushed the tear away.

"Don't cry, everything's alright" Murphy assured. Lilith held Murphy close and wrapped her arms around him. Murphy was stunned for a couple of seconds as he didn't expect that kind of reaction from her. He slowly wrapped his arm around her as well.

"I was so worried, I thought you were going to die" Lilith's hold grew tighter. Murphy slowly released himself from her grip and held her hands firmly.

"It was only flesh wound, Lilith. I'm fine now" he assured with a smile. Lilith laughed at his overconfidence but she was overjoyed that he was safe. They turned toward Erick and Zero, the Brother had been injured severely in the attack. He was blinded, his right shoulder was dislocated and his ribs were broken. Zero had looped Erick's arm around his neck and helped the brother up. Murphy scooped Lilith in his arms and walked toward the Assassin.

"Ace, how are you feeling?" Murphy asked.

"I'm blind as a bat and I feel like hammered shit but thanks to Zero here, I should be fine" Erick assured, holding his ribs with his left arm. Murphy looked toward the Assassin and nodded in appreciation of his quick rescue.

"Thanks Zero" said Murphy.

"It was a pleasure" Zero said as he slid his sword back into his sheath. Murphy walked back and looked at his helmet, it was split in two and damaged beyond repair. He kneeled down to look at it.

"Lilith, can you reach that for me?" Murphy asked as he held her in his arms. Lilith reached down and grabbed the two halves of his helmet as instructed "Now put the two halves together" he instructed. She gave him a curious look and did not fully understand why he would ask something so odd. She placed the halves together and slowly, the Nanites began repairing the damage. The helmet appeared new again. Lilith was amazed at the regenerative abilities of the Nanites, they could repair and heal almost anything. She looked back at Murphy and smiled. Murphy looked back at her, wiped the blood dripping on the side of her head and cradled her gently.

"Let's go home" Lilith said as she rested her eyes and laid her head on his chest. Murphy and Zero carried the injured and walked back to the the Vault Hunters to rest up for another battle.


	34. Chapter 33-Recovery

Five days after the assault, the Vault Hunters healed their wounds and prepared for Lynchwood, it would be the turning tide of the war. Most were back at a hundred percent with the exception of Lilith and Erick. The two would have been healed by now but due to the lack of Eridium on hand thanks to their war with Hyperion, they would have to heal naturally. Lilith was nursing an ankle injury and a small concussion back at Raider HQ. The others strongly recommended she stay with Zed but she refused due to her fear of hospitals and Zed's questionable medical practices. Murphy had hands on medical experience from his years in the force, he had charged himself with the responsibility of being her doctor for the time being.

Being around Lilith had a humanizing effect on Murphy and it showed through his appearance. His skin wasn't as pale as before and the glowing blue veins on his body were less noticeable, almost blending in naturally with his skin. This was mostly due to Pandora's sun basking over his skin with its rays. The only thing that hadn't changed was his cybernetic blue eyes but to Lilith, they appeared just as human as anyone else's. His appearance wasn't the only thing that changed however, he was happier, more open with the others about his past and his guilt felt like a distant memory. He had finally let go of his past so he could be more of an aid to his friends rather than a hindrance.

Erick suffered several injuries, he dislocated his right shoulder, broke three ribs, and his optic implants had been severed, blinding him temporarily. He did stay at Zed's to recuperate unlike the red haired Siren. During the night, Murphy, wearing civilian clothing instead of his armor, and Mordecai decided to pay a visit to the Brother to see his progress and they were met by the doctor himself at the entrance.

"Howdy there, what brings you to my clinic?" asked Zed in a southern drawl.

"We're here to drop off some things for our partner" Mordecai answered, holding a bag of what appeared to be food.

"I'm here to pick up some medical supplies for Lilith, I need some insta-health and some fresh bandages to keep her ankle in place" Murphy answered as well.

"Erick's in the surgery room on the right, sitting on a medical table. He's conscious right now and he's talking with his sister and his girlfriend. You can meet him if you want" Zed pointed at the dim lit medical room on his right "I'll get the little lady her meds and bandages in the storage room for ya". Murphy and Mordecai nodded and walked in to the surgery room. Erick was shirtless with bandages covering his eyes. His ribs were also wrapped to keep them in place and his arm was in a sling. Next to him were Gaige and Ari sitting on a faded wooden bench on his right. Gaige was awake, talking to Erick while Ari was asleep, resting on her shoulder as both girls were wrapped in a large wool blanket to keep themselves warm. Erick smelled the meal and turned blindly toward Mordecai and Murphy.

"Gaige, who is it?" Erick asked.

"It's Murphy and Mordecai, they brought you something to eat" Gaige answered with an uneasiness in her voice. It wasn't the first time she saw Erick injured so severely but she never really got used to it.

"How's our secret weapon doing?" Mordecai joked, trying to cheer him up. Erick cracked a smile and laughed but coughed when his ribs started hurting.

"Don't make me laugh guys, my ribs are killing me enough as it is" Erick grabbed his ribs with his free arm to ease the pain "What smells good?" he said as he sniffed the aroma.

"Zero made some eggrolls for you, he also told us something in haiku. I'm not gonna bother repeating it so I'm just gonna say he wishes you good health and a quick recovery" Murphy answered. He opened the bag Mordecai was carrying and pulled out an eggroll. He placed the snack in Erick's hand and Erick carefully took a bite out of it.

"This is delicious, even better than Sal's chimichangas" Erick started wolfing down the meal and finished in a matter of seconds "You got to tell me Zero's recipe. It's better than the crap Maya tries to make us eat and it's a hell of a lot better than Axton's MREs."

"Don't say that, Maya is a good cook" Gaige said, defending the Siren's cooking although she hated it just as much.

"Bullshit. Last time I ate one of her eggs or whatever you call that poison, I had dysentery for a week" Mordecai laughed. Murphy joined in the laughter as well, Erick tried his best not to laugh due to his injuries.

"I tried to ask Zero about the recipe but he just gave me a long look of silence" Murphy said, handing Erick another eggroll.

"That's sounds like the Assassin we all know and love" Gaige answered. She had known Zero since the beginning of her journey on Pandora, she had gotten used to his secretive tendencies. She still wanted to know what was under the mask however, he was either an alien or a robot she thought. Ari started stirring for a bit when she heard the others talking but remained asleep.

"How's Ari?" Murphy asked out of curiosity. He remembered how distraught she was when Erick returned injured.

"She's okay Murphy, she just feels guilty for not being there for Erick" Gaige said as she stared at the sleeping Siren resting on her shoulder.

"I'm glad she left with Brick when she did, she was in no condition to fight" Erick said, turning his head toward the direction of Gaige's voice "Is the bomb ready yet?" he asked, wondering about their progress.

"Brick will return tomorrow with the explosive, after that we'll head to Lynchwood. Think you'll be ready by then, Ace?" Murphy asked. Gaige shot him a look of anger, she didn't want Erick to be anywhere near that place.

"Tomorrow, my eyesight should be restored thanks to Gaige. She was able to reconnect my implants to my retinas again, I'll be able to leave the clinic and rest up in HQ but…" Erick paused somberly "I won't be ready for Lynchwood. Looks like you're going without me." Gaige took a deep breath and sighed in relief when Erick said he wasn't going.

"The only reason we're even going to Lynchwood is because of you Erick" Mordecai said, stroking his beard.

"Yeah Ace, we're one step closer to winning this war because of you" Murphy added.

"Thanks Murph" Erick said gratefully.

"I got to take a dump, I'll be in in the bathroom if you need me" Mordecai said, holding his stomach as he placed the bag on the table near Gaige and ran to the bathroom.

"Guess the dysentery's starting to kick in!" Erick exclaimed. Murphy chuckled and turned his attention toward Erick

"Just out of curiosity Ace, why do you have eye implants?" Murphy asked. He didn't know Erick had cybernetic implants in his eyes, they appeared human from Murphy's perspective.

"Chemistry incident involving HCL" Erick answered rubbing the bandages on his eyes "In a weird way, we have something in common with one another, right Murph?" Erick was commenting on Murphy's cybernetic eyes as well.

"Right Ace" Murphy smiled. Erick began scratching his chin as he contemplated what to say next to Murphy.

"You know, I never had the chance to say I was sorry for frying you Murph" Erick said honestly.

"Water under the bridge Ace" Murphy said with a surprising amount of compassion in his voice. He would have normally held the grudge but he decided to let it slide "I would have zapped myself too. After all, I did look like a Hyperion robot at the time."

"That wasn't the real reason why I zapped you" Erick started but was interrupted by Murphy.

"Come again?" Murphy asked, raising an eyebrow.

"On my way to Pandora, the ship I was in stopped for maintenance on Eden-5" Erick continued "Place was a shit hole, no offence Gaige."

"None taken" Gaige said, agreeing with his statement.

"Anyhow, I had a run-in with Holloway during my visit. I saw him push an old lady to the ground and I naturally gave him a piece of my mind. By that I mean I kinda broke his nose" Murphy stopped Erick as remembered the incident. During in his slavery under Holloway, he was ordered to hunt down some blonde kid who assaulted him. Gaige also had a surprised look on her face when she remembered the story Erick told her.

"Hold the phone, you were that blonde kid that gave me a run for my money all those years ago?" Murphy exclaimed when he finally recognized the Brother.

"Yeah, funny huh?" Erick shrugged "The first time we met, we were trying to kill each other, now we're partners. Irony's a funny thing."

"Now it makes perfect sense" Murphy laughed as he waived his arms up into the air "When you saw me, you thought Holloway sent me here to kill you and Gaige!"

"Yep, that's why I zapped you" Erick said nervously scratching his head "I was gonna finish you off too but Lilith decided to bring you in for interrogation after she saw the Eridian markings on your armor." Murphy paused, he couldn't believe what he heard. Lilith was the reason he was still alive right now. He smiled warmly; the Siren had done so much for him already. How am I going to return such kindness he thought as he rubbed his chin with his finger. She not only saved his life but brought back his humanity.

"Murphy, are you okay?" Gaige asked as he spaced out for a minute.

"What, yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking" Murphy said as he snapped back to reality.

"About what?" Gaige wondered out of sheer curiosity.

"Just one little detail that doesn't add up, Ace's hair was blonde when I chased him down but now it's black. Did he dye it?" Murphy asked trying to throw them off of what he was really thinking.

"That's a story for another time Murph. It would be too complicated to explain" Erick said honestly "Anyway, how is that old ass-hat?" Erick asked, wondering what happened to Holloway.

"Murphy killed him" Gaige said happily.

"Bastard got what he deserved" Erick added, he knew what kind of man Holloway was after seeing the horrible things he did first hand "How did he die?"

"I'd rather not go into the gory details" Murphy said defensively.

"Come on, we've probably seen worse" Gaige begged. She had a look one face that screamed _what happened next_. She hated the Holloways with a passion after they ripped of her design of DT and used it to make the less effective version of it, the Crime Buster Bot.

"Okay, might want to bring a barf bag" Murphy started "I popped a couple shells into his legs and ripped his still beating heart out with my hand, made him eat it afterwards" Murphy finished. Gaige and Erick remained unfazed by it.

"I've seen worse" Gaige shrugged "I believe that was too good for a jerk bag like him" she pouted.

"Quick question, what happened to the bots he made and the cops he bribed" Erick asked as he leaned closer to hear the rest of the story.

"Well those buster crimes, crime boosting, bot busting crime, crap I'm usually good with remembering shit like this" Murphy snapped his fingers trying to figure out the name "Oh yeah, Crime Buster Bots!" he exclaimed when he remembered "Those hunks of junk were destroyed by me after I was freed, horrible engineering I must say. The crooked cops got locked away and the good ones took over. I helped a bit with cleaning up the planet, became a symbol of the people afterwards. Funny how life works" he chuckled at the thought of how Eden-5 could hail him their Favorite Son after all the things he did.

"From the way you fight and the things you've done for us here, you deserve to be praised" Erick said truthfully. Murphy nodded at him for his kind words.

"That's so awesome, I can't wait to see how much home has changed" Gaige squealed with glee.

"Yeah, me neither" Erick said timidly. He was still uneasy with the idea of meeting her dad, especially after the special night he and Gaige had together.

"Ace, you've faced Loaders, giant monsters, and a god. I think meeting her dad should be a cake walk" Murphy teased, poking fun at his disposition.

"If I had a choice I'd face those all over again rather than meet her dad" Erick joked.

"Don't worry, he'll love you" Gaige assured although she was nervous about it as well.

"Speaking of parents" Murphy pulled something out of the bag next to Gaige. When he removed the object from its confines, Gaige had a smile across her face. It was a bag of hot cocoa mix with a letter on the front of it "In all the excitement, I almost forgot to hand you this note and the bag of cocoa." Murphy handed the Mechromancer the bag and the letter. She gently tore the letter tapped to the bag off and began reading.

"To our little girl vault hunting across the galaxy, we wanted you to know that we've learned of your adventures on Pandora through the Echo net. We are so proud of you, Gaige. We've decided to send you a gift for those cold winter nights when you're spacefaring in some wondrous planet. We love you, come home soon. Love, Mom and Dad" Gaige finished reading the letter and placed it down on the table. She looked at the bag of and her lip started quivering as tears ran down her cheek.

"They really miss you kid" Murphy said while smiling. Gaige wiped the tears from her cheeks and smiled warmly at Murphy and Erick. The two had done so much for her already, she was proud to call them her family.

"Thanks Murphy" Gaige said gratefully. She was happy to know her mom and dad were still looking out for her. She was grateful that they went such great lengths to send the Enforcer to her new home. Mordecai finally emerged from the bathroom, holding his stomach and holding the bridge of his nose. The toilet made a swirling noise when he left.

"I'm never eating Maya's crap ever again" Mordecai complained "Did I miss anything interesting?"

"I'll tell you when we get back home Mordecai" Murphy smiled as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Hey Gaige, why don't you make us some hot cocoa" Erick asked "Zed has a machine in the back we could use. He won't mind knowing him."

"Okay, be back soon" Gaige said giving Erick a wink. Although he couldn't see, he could tell Gaige was looking at him. Gaige unwrapped herself from the blanket, grabbed the pillow behind her, gently moved Ari's head off of her right shoulder and placed her head on the pillow. She placed her blanket over Ari as she slept and walked into the back to make some cocoa for Erick and herself.

"Well, we should head back home. I need my shut eye" Mordecai said as he patted Erick on his shoulder.

"You washed your hands, right?" Erick joked.

"Of course I did, amigo. I'm not that disgusting, unlike Salvador" Mordecai laughed.

"Get well soon Ace, we need you" Murphy said.

"Yeah, we're finally going to reach the light at the end of the tunnel" Erick said positively.

"Half as long" Murphy started as he lifted his fist in front of Erick.

"Twice as bright" Erick finished as he pounded the Enforcer in the knuckles with his fist.

"I called it, I knew you two would be good pals" Mordecai joked, remembering what he said earlier during their first meeting with Murphy. The two looked at the Hunter and gave confident grins. Zed arrived at the scene with bandages and a couple of insta-healths.

"Here's the meds for Lilith" Zed handed them to Murphy. Murphy gave Zed a curious look.

"These were cleaned, right?" Murphy asked, remembering what Lilith told him about his unethical medical practices.

"They're clean, I made sure of that. I'd rather not piss off a Siren" Zed reassured "Damn bitch, she should have visited my clinic to deal with her injuries but noooo, she wants some pretty boy with a medical license to mend her wounds" Zed grumbled under his breath as he walked away toward the medical storage closet to check his inventory. Mordecai and Murphy just shook their heads and smiled when they overheard his grumbling. The two said goodbye to Erick and walked back to HQ


	35. Chapter 34-Stargazers

Murphy and Mordecai marched back to the HQ and were greeted by everyone in the lobby. Axton and Salvador were eating some of Zero's eggrolls while watching some Thrash-Ball on the TV and swapping war stories, bragging about their various achievements and trying to one up each other when it came to skill kills. Maya was testing her luck against Zero with a game of Poker. She had beaten him twice so far, the reason being Zero had set the deck up in her favor. If there was anything Zero had learned from his battles with Jack and Hyperion it was never to enrage a Siren, especially someone as short tempered and forceful as Maya. Montayva was playing with her child on the couch while Junior was making funny faces, causing the baby to laugh hysterically. Lilith had disappeared into the upstairs shower to relax her nerves after feeling vulnerable in her struggle to survive against the giant Thresher back in Sawtooth Cauldron. Brick was creating the Thermite Charge back in Thousand Cuts while the Slabs were giving Hyperion grief by raiding their camps in the Dust and the Highlands. The Slabs' second victory in the Cauldron had boosted their morale and gave them the confidence they were lacking since the beginning of Johnson's occupation of the planet.

"Hey fellas, how's Erick?" Axton asked, turning his attention from the game toward the two returning Vault Hunters.

"He'll be back in HQ tomorrow but he won't be ready for Lynchwood" Mordecai said glumly.

"It's going to be a tough one without Ace watching our backs" Murphy admitted. He and the Brother had become an efficient team in their short time together, even with their differences. He was going to miss having his young friend by his side in the thick of it. Montayva knew the two had become really good friends and was glad they had finally forgiven each other. Zero turned his attention from the cards toward Murphy and Mordecai.

"Did Erick enjoy the eggrolls?" Zero asked.

"Yeah he did" Murphy answered. Salvador stood up and grabbed his beer on top of the table in front of the TV.

"We'll win this one for our amigo!" Salvador exclaimed while raising a glass of beer.

"Damn right!" Axton also joined the Gunzerker and raised his glass "Those Hyperion bastards don't stand a chance against us" he said arrogantly. With the huge victory in the Cauldron, Axton's confidence was at an all-time high.

"If we defeat them in Lynchwood, Hyperion will finally be finished" Maya smirked as she placed her cards on the table "Ace of Spades." Zero had a horrible hand and just folded, Maya had defeated the Assassin again.

"How come every time I play him in Poker I get my ass kicked while you always seem to win" Axton had a look of annoyance across face, no matter how hard he tried, Zero always seemed to always come out on top.

"Poor snookems" she pouted teasingly at the Commando "Maybe it's because I have a better Poker face than you."

"You have a better something alright" Axton flirted as he began staring at her bum. Maya gave him a threatening glare, warning him if he kept on staring at her. He turned his attention away from Maya and back to the game.

"What the hell are you watching?" Murphy asked as Salvador was cheering after the Cougars scored a touchdown.

"We're watching some Thrash-Ball amigo, the Cougars and the Sharks are playing for the All-Father's cup on the planet Sera" Salvador explained.

"And those cheating assholes are winning 27 to 14" Axton sulked as he started drinking his beer.

"You can't stop the Cole Train, pendejos!" Salvador slapped Axton in the back, causing the Commando to spit his beer all over himself.

"Dude, not cool!" Axton yelled and raised his glass with the intention of hitting Salvador with it.

"Don't you dare" Maya warned, she didn't want to cause a commotion and ruin the peace and quiet, especially around the baby. Axton grumbled for a couple of seconds and placed the cup back on the table.

"Thank you Maya" Montayva said gratefully, she knew the blue haired Siren was looking out for her.

"Someone has to keep him in line" Maya raised an eyebrow at Axton. Mordecai sat next to Montayva and placed his hand on her knee. The baby was happy to see her father around her and Junior stopped goofing around and perched himself back on his master's shoulder. Mordecai leaned closer to her and kissed Montayva on the lips.

"How have the kids been treating you?" Mordecai asked.

"They've been really good" Montayva answered. Murphy enjoyed the sight of everyone happy together, he felt that he was part of something that he thought lost long ago, a family. Murphy had changed for the better, the cold and distant machine ridden with guilt was replaced with a good hearted man who was free from his curse. Murphy noticed that Lilith wasn't down in the lobby and wondered where she was.

"Guys, have you seen Lilith anywhere?" Murphy asked. He needed to give her the meds and the bandages for today.

"She's taking a shower upstairs, she'll be out soon" Montayva answered. Montayva could sense how much the two had changed since Murphy's arrival. Lilith was grief stricken before Murphy, she still missed Roland but her pain dissipated around the Enforcer. Murphy's return to humanity was because of Lilith, she spared his life and gave him the chance to do good again, something he needed after what happened to him. Murphy nodded and went upstairs to check on her.

"I hope those two finally figure it out" Mordecai said. He wanted the best for Lilith, after all they were childhood friends. In reality, she was Mordecai's best friend. She was the first person to ever befriend the Hunter while the other kids mocked him for being different. He felt terrible at how distraught she was after Roland was killed and he felt she would end up like himself, someone who was angry at the world, trapped in a prison of sorrow. With Murphy, she had a chance to be happy again which Mordecai believed she deserves to be.

"I know they will" Montayva assured Mordecai, sensing how he felt. Lilith was lying in the tub, she was resting her head on the cubical wall and she had propped her injured foot on the side. She had a rather gloomy look on her face while contemplating what she was feeling. She felt conflicted, she wanted to be with Murphy but she wouldn't allow herself to give in to her emotions. She didn't want to repeat what happened with Roland, she couldn't bear the thought of losing someone close to her again. Suddenly, she snapped out of her trance when she heard someone knocking on the door.

"Who is it?" Lilith asked.

"It's Jason, I brought some meds and bandages for your ankle" Murphy answered through the door "When you're done, I'll be upstairs in the control room with A.N.N. I'll be waiting for you."

"Okay, I'll be out in a second" Lilith said. Murphy went upstairs and met up with A.N.N, her visage on the map, to see how she was. He placed the bandages and insta-health on the table and walked up to the balcony to gaze at the stars. He sat on the chair and took in the star lit sky; he no longer felt disdain and sorrow when he gazed into the sky. He felt the same childhood wonder he had with his younger sister all those years ago. He was ready to record a personal log but he realized he wasn't in his armor when he looked at his wrist. He decided to drop the notion of recording something, it was a bad habit he needed to kick he thought. Now, he just wanted to live in the moment instead of recording it like a backlog video.

"You're happy, aren't you?" A.N.N asked, noticing the faint smile on his face.

"I don't know what I feel, A.N.N" Murphy said truthfully "For the first time in a long time, I don't despise myself. I feel free again, I feel…" A.N.N interrupted him to finish his statement.

"Human" A.N.N finished as she smiled warmly. She was happy for him but she was also somewhat sad. For the longest time, Murphy needed A.N.N to watch over him but now he didn't need her to be his guardian angel anymore. Murphy would always think of her as a vital part of his life no matter what but she knew she wouldn't be able to watch over him forever. A.N.N felt glad that he would have Lilith to watch over him, A.N.N hoped they would find happiness in each other.

"Yeah, all because of her" Murphy was referring to Lilith. She had done so much for him and he wanted to return her kindness.

"Lilith is a special person Murphy, I hope you two have a wonderful future together" A.N.N said.

"I don't know if this will work out A.N.N. I do feel something between her and I, but we're so different" Murphy argued.

"And you are so much alike as well" A.N.N said.

"Maybe you're right" Murphy said, contemplating how to tell Lilith what he felt.

"Hey killer" Murphy heard Lilith's voice from behind him and turned around. Lilith was dressed for bed, wearing a tank top and loosely fitting short shorts. She also had a pair of scissors in her hands.

"I'll be in standby mode, see you tomorrow" A.N.N disappeared into thin air to give the two their privacy. Lilith walked next to Murphy and grabbed a chair next to his and sat next to him.

"Hey Lilith, how's the ankle feeling?" Murphy noticed how she winced in pain when he mentioned it.

"I'm fine" Lilith tried to convince him but he wasn't buying it.

"Stay here while I grab the supplies" Murphy stood up and walked into the dim lit room. He grabbed the bandages and the insta-health and walked back to Lilith. Murphy kneeled beside her and began examining the injury, she had healed rather well in such a quick time.

"How's it looking?" she asked as she leaned over to look at her ankle.

"You should be fully recovered by tomorrow. I'd strongly suggest you keep the bandages on however" Murphy instructed. Murphy slowly began unwrapping the old bandages as he tried to be gentle and replaced it with the new ones. He grabbed Lilith by her calf and lifted it to inject the insta-health. Lilith braced herself as Murphy injected the first needle into her leg. She grimaced as it stung horribly "One more to go" he injected the next one. He could feel her leg tense up as he injected the final needle, he tried being gentle as possible, trying his best not to cause her further discomfort.

"Jesus, that stings" Lilith groaned.

"Sorry, I was trying to be gentle" Murphy said apologetically. He then sat back on his seat and gazed up at the stars. Lilith joined him to gaze at the stars.

"The stars are beautiful tonight, aren't they?" Lilith looked at them with the same childhood wonder Murphy did. Ever since she was a girl, Lilith always wanted to explore the galaxy and see the many wonders that were out there. Now she was living the dream she always fantasized about.

"They are" Murphy said as he stared into her eyes. Lilith knew he was talking about her and not the stars. Murphy noticed a slight blush on her face. Murphy slowly turned toward her hand and noticed the scissors "What's with the clippers?"

"They're for you Jason. You need a haircut" Lilith noted. Murphy's hair was pretty long for someone like him.

"I don't need a haircut" Murphy looked up at Lilith and some hair fell into his eyes. Lilith just laughed at how silly he looked.

"Sorry Jason but you really do. You look like a wannabe rocker" she joked as she reached out and brushed the loose strands back over his head.

"And you don't" Murphy commented on her red hair and how it looked.

"Hey, at least I make this look good" she bragged.

"No argument there" he shrugged. Lilith stood up and gingerly walked behind Murphy to give him his haircut. She slowly ran her fingers through his hair and slowly snipped away at the edges. Murphy started moving a bit when she made him uncomfortable.

"Stop fidgeting so much, you're gonna screw me up" Lilith scolded.

"Well I wouldn't be fidgeting so much if you weren't pulling at my hair" Murphy shot back over his shoulder.

"Well it wouldn't hurt at all if you would just sit still" Lilith continued to cut his hair. After a half hour, she was finally done. Murphy's hair was shorter, it didn't cover his ears and it didn't reach down his neck like it did before. It was combed back neatly like before. Murphy stood up and turned around to look at the Siren.

"How do I look?" he asked.

"You look perfect" she said. Lilith frowned when she noticed the knife scars across his right eye and left side of his lip. She slowly cupped her hands around Murphy's face and traced her finger tips over the scars "You've been through a rough time, haven't you?" Murphy slowly placed his hand on her cheek.

"I have" he answered "No matter how many times my injuries heal, these scars always remain the same. They have always been a constant reminder of my mistakes. Pretty symbolic come to think of it" he chuckled a bit as he tried his best to hide his pain "It's kind of like a broken heart. No matter how many times you place the pieces back together, it can never be the same."

"I know what that's like" she said quietly, sounding like she was at the verge of tears. She looked away from him and a gloomy look covered her face.

"What's wrong?" he asked, feeling terrible because of the sadness he saw in her eyes.

"I'm just so confused" a tear rolled down the side of her face "I want to be with you but at the same time I don't. After Roland, I couldn't…" Murphy stopped her when she mentioned Roland. He placed his fingers under her chin and gently turned her head to face him. He brushed the tear from her cheek and placed his hand back on it.

"I know how you feel" Murphy admitted "Neither of us can replace what we've lost but that doesn't change how we feel for one another. You've done so much for me already, let me return your kindness, let me ease your pain. Let me help you, Lilith" Murphy looked into her eyes again like the night at the diner. Lilith felt her pain just melt away when he told her what he felt for her and she decided to let go of her inhibitions. She pulled him in close and bent his head to meet hers. She kissed him softly, slowly, letting him take in the moment. He slowly circled his hands around her waist and pulled her tightly into his embrace. She finally withdrew to look into his eyes again.

"That was… interesting" Murphy joked as he had trouble describing what he felt.

"Really, that's all you have to say?" she teased knowing he meant no disrespect.

"Sorry, I'm pretty terrible when it comes to this sort of thing" he said as he tucked some of her hair over her ear.

"We'll have to work on that, now won't we?" Lilith continued teasing him as she traced her fingers over his scars again.

"Yeah we do. Hopefully, when we have some more free time" he teased in return. Lilith released herself from his grasp, slowly walked away from Murphy and walked toward the downstairs' doorway.

"It's getting late Jason, I'd better go back to my room before…well, you know. Before things start getting wild" she said as she gave him a smile.

"Don't worry, I'm in no rush" Murphy returned with a smile of his own. The two wished each other good night and eagerly awaited for what tomorrow might bring.


	36. Chapter 35-Celebration

It was early in the morning, Lilith was standing on the balcony and she was still dressed for bed. Lilith was enjoying the sunrise and taking in its warm rays. Oddly enough, she was happier than usual. It had to do with Murphy, when she was around him the guilt of losing Roland seemed to disappear. She still missed her old flame but she was ready to move on with her life, never looking back at her mistakes. Murphy found her, leaning on top of the safety rail on the balcony. He circled his arms around her waist from behind her.

"Good morning, how did you sleep?" Murphy asked into her ear as he rested his chin on her shoulder.

"I was pretty restless, I was thinking about you Jason" she said while smiling "How was your sleep?"

"With Axton's complaining about the sharks losing and his bickering about a blown call by the refs all night long, how could I get any sleep around here" he joked. Lilith turned her head to let him brush her lips with a quick kiss "I was thinking about you too while he kept me up though."

"Really?" she teased as she turned in his arms to face him "Well, if you ever have trouble falling asleep, you know where to find me" she wrapped her arms around Murphy's neck.

"Sounds like a plan" Murphy teased as he moved his hand over her thigh. Lilith enjoyed his newfound boldness and she played along with it.

"Someone's pretty bold today" she laughed as she gave him another quick kiss and leaned into his embrace.

"That's because you instill me with such confidence" Murphy lifted her chin up with his hand and gave her a longer, much more passionate kiss. She slowly withdrew and looked into his eyes.

"Before I forget, I think today is a certain occasion for a special someone" Lilith was of course referring to Murphy's birthday today. He just smiled as he held her close.

"Today is my birthday. I'm 38 years old, pretty hard to believe huh?" Murphy admitted.

"Really, I thought you were younger than that" she teased "Remind me, that thing you wanted, what was it again?" she teased him even more as she pressed her figure harder against him.

"I have everything I want standing right in front of me" He answered.

"You're so corny" she laughed as she held him tight.

"You did tell me we would have to work on that last night" Murphy joked.

"I think we have some free time right now to work on that, everyone's still asleep and the door to the room is locked tight" she advised, trying to give him some ideas.

"I like where this is going" he traced his hand from her thigh over her bum and squeezed it gently. He chuckled as she jumped, she raised her eyebrow in interest.

"Frisky one, aren't you?" she teased as her body enjoyed the interaction "I think it's time to unwrap your present."

"I guess it is" Murphy lifted her gently and she wrapped her legs around his hips as he carried her back inside the room. As he lay her on top of the table and began kissing her on the neck passionately, she clung to him as she wrapped her hands around his neck and began running her fingers through his hair. His lips trailed up her neck, across her cheek, and finally reaching her lips. Lilith kissed him eagerly in return. Murphy slowly placed his hands around Lilith's hips and her wrapped his fingers right under the waist band of her shorts, ready to undress the Siren while she was trying to unbutton his jeans. Before they could go any further, A.N.N awoke from standby mode and her visage flickered in front of them. They noticed her immediately and withdrew from one another, Lilith sat straight up on the table as she felt the heat of her embarrassment spread across her cheeks and Murphy began scratching his head nervously.

"Good morning everyone" A.N.N yawned, stretching her holographic arms in the air, completely oblivious to what was going on while she slept.

"Uh, good morning A.N.N" Lilith stammered, breathing heavily with ecstasy as she flicked some of her loose red hair out of her eyes "I guess I should dress up before the others decide to wake up too, we'll finish our discussion some other time Jason" Lilith placed her feet back on the floor and quickly walked out the room. Murphy stared at her as she left the room. A.N.N looked at Murphy with curiosity.

"Was I interrupting something important?" A.N.N asked.

"It's kinda hard to explain right now" Murphy answered nervously "I think it's best that we drop the subject entirely" A.N.N just shrugged and agreed to drop it.

"Happy birthday my friend, did you get anything special?" she asked.

"Well, I was in the middle of unwrapping my present but then you decided to wake up before I had the chance to… explore what was inside the box. I'll have to check it out some other time" Murphy tried his best to find the right words to say while trying to get what was about to happen with Lilith out of his head.

"Better luck next time I guess" A.N.N shrugged, still oblivious to what he was referring to "Also, I couldn't find that music player for your helmet. Sorry about that Murphy."

"Don't worry about it" Murphy answered "I'm gonna head to the munitions' store and see if Marcus has any new rifles on sale" Murphy said goodbye to A.N.N and he walked down the stairs. He exited the HQ to visit the store.

After a couple of hours, Murphy decided to head back to HQ to see if Erick or Brick had returned. When he entered the lobby, he was greeted by a huge roar of applause.

"Surprise, happy birthday!" shouted everyone in the lobby. All the Vault Hunters, including Brick, Erick with the bandages removed from his eyes, and A.N.N whose chip was sitting on the table, were in the lobby, eagerly awaiting his return. Brick had his pet skag, Dukino, next to him for the occasion. Montayva was carrying her baby and Mordecai had Junior on his shoulder. Gaige and Ari had a big box under their arms with a little bow on top of it. The room itself was littered with balloons and party streamers.

"How did you guys know?" Murphy asked with a bewildered look on his face, not expecting anyone to surprise him in such a way.

"Guilty as charged" Lilith said, raising her hand "I thought it would be better for everyone to celebrate your day, killer. A.N.N and I organized the whole party during my recovery period" she slowly walked up to the Enforcer and gave him a birthday kiss. Everyone started cheering and clapping their hands, glad the pair finally were together with the exception of Salvador who hated any type romance. He preferred blowing stuff up with two guns and partying any day.

"Ugh, this mushy mierda is making me sick to mi estomago, let's get this fiesta started!" Salvador exclaimed. Murphy nodded and the party went underway. Murphy walked up to greet Erick and Brick.

"Glad to see you back on your feet Ace" Murphy smiled and gave Erick a big handshake.

"You didn't think I was going to miss the party of the century, right Murph?" Erick said, wincing a bit due to his injuries. Brick gave Murphy a pat on the back.

"Happy Birthday slab" Brick bellowed "Before you ask, I brought the explosive with me when I got here. We'll head to Lynchwood tomorrow but right now it's time to party!" the skag Brick brought started to run around Murphy with joy.

"Who's this cute little guy?" Murphy kneeled down to face the large pup at eye level. The skag started licking Murphy in the face as he greeted the Enforcer happily. Maya walked up to answer Murphy's question.

"That's Dukino" Maya answered as she started petting the skag "We saved him a couple of years ago in Lynchwood back when it was still run by the sheriff. Brick decided to keep him as a pet afterwards" Axton tried to greet Murphy but the Skag started growling angrily at him. Axton walked away slowly, fearing Dukino would try to eat him.

"Keep that beast away from me!" Axton yelled. Maya had an evil smirk on her face and decided to bring Dukino closer to him.

"How can you call him a beast, look at this pretty face" Maya said teasingly, inciting his fear even further.

"That thing tried eating me!" Axton yelled, recalling the first time he met Dukino.

"He just wants to play with you, isn't that right boy? Am I right?" Maya said playfully as she petted the skag. Gaige and Ari walked in to hand Murphy the present they was carrying under her arm.

"Here you go Murphy, Ari and I spent the entire week making this for you" Gaige smiled. Murphy grabbed it and opened it. He found his helmet inside of the box and pulled it out.

"This is my helmet guys, this isn't exactly new" Murphy said.

"Press the button on the right and you'll notice a difference" Ari added. Murphy pressed the button and the Rolling Stones song, Gimme Shelter, started playing through the speakers.

"The music player I wanted!" Murphy announced with childish enthusiasm.

"That's right, Ari picked the songs while I installed the player to your helmet's hardware. It took a while but once I figured out how to connect the circuitry with the harddrive, it was a breeze" Gaige said proudly.

"And here's what I added in the database" Erick walked up and pressed the button again and Flight of The Valkyries started playing through the helmet. Murphy smiled at Erick's surprise as he remembered the beginning of the mission back in the Cauldron.

"Thanks Ace" Murphy laughed as he gave Erick another handshake.

"Happy Birthday old man" Erick joked and Murphy just gave him the evil eye.

"I may be old but I can still kick your ass" Murphy joked as well knowing he didn't mean any offense.

"Okay but mind doing that after my injuries have healed Murph, I'd rather not stay another five days back in the ER at Zed's" Erick joked. Mordecai walked in and pulled Murphy away from the conversation.

"Where are we going Mordecai?" Murphy asked as Mordecai pushed him toward a giant Piñata shaped like a bird.

"It's customary for the birthday boy to have the first swing at the Piñata" Mordecai answered as he wrapped a blindfold over Murphy's eyes. Salvador spun Murphy around three times to begin the game.

"Okay Tin Man, bust that hijo de puta wide open and everyone can get some candy" Salvador said with a grin. Mordecai handed Murphy the stick and he readied himself to swing for the fences. Murphy took a swing and knocked the Piñata wide open, candy poured out of its opened gut. Everyone started cheering and rushed toward the candy pile to get some delicious sweets.

"Did I get it?" Murphy asked as he removed the blindfold and took a peak.

"Yes you did" Montayva answered "In some cultures, it's considered good luck if you knock the Piñata open on your first try" soon, Zero emerged from the kitchen with a cake in his hands, a candle shaped like the number 38 was on top of it and lit up for the occasion.

"Ladies, Gentlemen/ after hours of labor/ the cake is ready" Zero announced as he placed the cake on the table. Murphy walked toward the cake to make his wish. He blew the candle out and made his wish.

"So what did you wish for Jason?" Lilith asked as she stood next to him. Murphy closed the distance between Lilith and himself and held her close.

"I already have what I wished for" Murphy teased as he kissed Lilith again. A heart shaped emote projected over Zero's helmet as he was glad for the two Vault Hunters' newfound relationship. Lilith withdrew for a second and looked into his eyes.

"I hoped there was more to your wish than just that" Lilith teased, alluding to a more private and personal wish.

"Maybe I wished for a little something special the two of us could arrange during a later time" Murphy informed while smiling. After hours of celebration, everyone gathered around to take a picture to remember the moment. Axton was setting up the camera timer and everyone was getting into position.

"Okay guys, the camera is set so everyone gather around" Axton rushed toward the group to get in the picture. Murphy stood in the middle, his arm wrapped around Lilith's waist while holding A.N.N in his free hand so her visage could be caught on camera. Erick stood on Murphy's left while wrapping his robot arm around Gaige's shoulder and Ari stood on his right in front of him. Mordecai stood next to Erick, he circled his arms behind Montayva while she held their baby in her arms. Junior was perched on his master's shoulder, wings spread out while he made a goofy face. Maya stood next to Lilith, placing her hand on her own hip and smirking in front of the camera. Salvador stood in front of Maya, flexing his big arms and giving a cocky grin. Axton stood next to Maya, giving his own cocky grin and throwing his signature peace sign in the air. Zero stood next to the Commando, placing his arms behind himself and projecting a happy face emote. Brick stood behind everyone while holding Dukino under his armpit so his pet could also be in the picture. The camera flashed and forever captured the moment for all of them to remember when they were older to reminisce about the good times.


	37. Chapter 36-Lynching: Part 1

It was early morning and the sun peaked over the Horizon. In the mines of Lynchwood, the rats were mining for any Eridian relics and weapons they could find while Hyperion troops were monitoring the area with constant patrols inside the caverns and tunnels of the mine. Oddly enough, Johnson was in Lynchwood to see the progress of his men and see if they had found anything useful. He was conversing with one of the directors of the mining operation. They were in one of the towers overlooking the mine.

"Progress report, captain" Johnson asked politely.

"Well sir, you called it. The mine is filled with Eridian weaponry, the boys in engineering will love to get their hands on these" the captain informed "Sir, I don't wish to be disrespectful but can I ask you why are we digging for weapons when we should focus our attention on the Vault?" Johnson looked toward the captain.

"Its plan b captain, we need a backup plan just in case we are unable to find the Vault. With these weapons, our scientist can reverse engineer them and supply our troops with some much needed firepower" Johnson placed his hand on the captain's shoulder "And they're a surprise for those dimwits in Sanctuary."

"I still think it's a terrible idea for you to be here, sir. After the incident in Goose's Roost and the destruction of the Cauldron, you should be in the Arid Nexus directing the men, not risking your life in the frontlines" the captain warned, fearing for his leader's safety.

"I appreciate your concern but I am a soldier, not a coward" Johnson smirked confidently "I fight with my men, for my men. I'm not gonna bark orders behind my desk while my men are dying for their leader. I maybe a heartless sumbitch but I ain't no pussy" what made this villain different from the others the Vault Hunters encountered was he had a sense of honor and an obligation to his followers instead of committing acts of cruelty for selfish gain.

He wasn't apathetic and cold like General Knoxx, a pawn with an inferiority complex like Claptrap, a coward like Jack, a psychopath like Duraph, foolhardy like the Corrupted Brother, or simpleminded like the Order of The Impending Storm. He was cunning, skilled, and tactically suited for the role of a leader, learning to never underestimate an opponent no matter how weak they may appear. When he heard of how Hyperion had abandoned their men, Johnson was compelled to find them and save them on Pandora. With the Vault Hunters gone during their mission on Athenas, Johnson left his self-imposed exile on Eden-6 after Jack almost murdered him and gathered the remaining troops. He had learned of the Champion's Vault through the archives of Eden-6's Eridian ruins and became hell bent on finding it so he could reward his men with the galaxy for their hardship.

"I understand sir, but we need you alive if we plan on taking over the galaxy and destroying this world" the captain insisted.

"I'll be fine captain, I need the exercise anyhow" Johnson pulled out his bowie knife and placed his fingers on the tip of the blade "Any news on Murphy's whereabouts?" Johnson had a deep rooted sense of hatred for the Enforcer after he broke his nose. The injury had healed and the nose appeared the same but he could still feel the pain.

"Yes, Loaders from Sawtooth have reported sightings of the man with the Eridian armor, working alongside the Vault Hunters. Intel is pretty sketchy due to large amounts of electrical interference screwing with the images from the deceased Loaders' memory banks" the captain said "If he has allied himself with the Vault Hunters then we are in serious trouble. They were a nuisance before but with his knowledge of our plans, we may suffer heavy setbacks."

"Ha! Murphy's working for those jackasses, things just got more interesting" Johnson flipped his knife in the air and caught it by the hilt once it came falling back down to his hand "I don't believe this, a golden opportunity has just presented itself, captain."

"And that is?" asked the captain.

"We can obtain the Vault Key, a Siren, and the location of the Champ's Vault with a well-coordinated attack on Sanctuary. I can get what I want and kill those morons in one foul swoop, killing two birds with one stone" Johnson said gleefully "After my business is done here, I'll check if the lab boys have prepared IT for our big assault."

"Sir, are you sure IT will work? The Vault Hunters defeated IT with ease the last time" the captain informed.

"That was because Jack was a dumbass and didn't equip IT with the most advanced Eridian technology the world has ever seen" Johnson boasted "But before I get ahead of myself, any news on Jack's underground arsenal in ol' balloon tits' big shinning city" Johnson was referring to Moxxi and Freedom City.

"No progress yet, Moxxi has made the search difficult with her bandits constantly attacking our men but I assure you we will report you with any new updates" said the captain. Johnson placed the knife back in the sheath in his boot and on a chair near the south wall.

"Good, that will be all for now" Johnson said. The captain saluted Johnson and he walked out of the room, descending from the tower via a lift.

Meanwhile, near the train station in Lynchwood, Murphy, armored up, and Lilith were sitting on top of a train cart parked on the rails outside while the others were preparing for the attack inside the station. Erick was absent because he was nursing his injuries back at Sanctuary. Lynchwood had changed from a western themed town to something out of a Dystopian Cyber Punk novel. The wood was replaced with pipes and metal and the outlaws were all killed. Loaders and soldiers patrolled the outside area while AA guns were placed on the rooftops, scanning the skies to defend the town from aerial assault. Murphy and Lilith looked at the sun one last time before the big assault on the mine. Lilith had a worried look on her face. Murphy took his helmet off and looked toward the Siren.

"Are you sure you're ready for this Lilith? You're ankle was pretty messed up" Murphy asked with a worried tone. Lilith just turned her head to speak to Murphy.

"My ankle's fine, you're the one I'm more worried about Jason" Lilith said softly "After what the Thresher did to you…I'm just scared" she looked down when she said it, shuddering at the image of Murphy in pain.

"I'll be fine, I promise" Murphy placed his hand on her knee assuredly and she smiled. The others exited the station's main door, holding their weapons in their hands and ready for a fight. Brick was carrying the bomb over his shoulder, it was shaped like a small backpack with straps on the side to carry it. Axton approached the two and stood in front of the cart.

"Yo boss lady, ready to get this show on the road?" Axton shouted anxiously. Lilith and Murphy jumped off the cart and landed near Axton.

"Yeah, gather everyone around so Jason and I can go over the plan one last time" Lilith ordered. Axton nodded and he made a waiving motion with his hands to direct everyone around them.

"Okay, listen up" Murphy announced "As you know, Hyperion may have found a possible lead to the Champion's Vault in Lynchwood. If they find what they are looking for, it means they're one step closer to finding the Vault. We can't let that happen" Lilith walked forward to explain the rest of the plan.

"We'll divide into two teams. Brick, Axton, Salvador, Gaige, Ari, and Mordecai will be the distraction team. You'll provide us with time by causing anarchy in the town, which should keep reinforcements from entering the mine."

"I like the sound of that!" Gaige interrupted as she smiled the minute Lilith mentioned the word anarchy.

"Of course you would" Ari waived her arms up in exasperation.

"Be quiet for a minute and allow Lilith to finish" Maya asked politely. The two girls stopped talking and allowed the red haired Siren to continue.

"Thank you Maya" Lilith nodded toward Maya "The second team will enter the mine and plant the bomb. Maya, Montayva, and Zero will accompany Jason and I. We'll fight our way through it until we reach the dead center. Once we've planted the bomb and started the countdown, return to my location and I'll phase us out of there before the bomb goes off."

"I still think I should be the one to switch the bomb on" Brick sulked as he crossed his arms.

"As much as we admire your methods Brick, this job requires more finesse than brute force" Montayva said, trying her best not to hurt the big man's feelings.

"Look at it this way amigo, more stuff for you to punch and more stuff for me to shoot" Salvador drawled as he lumbered over to Brick with his Shock Butcher in one hand and his Slag Sledge's in the other. Salvador placed the barrels of the guns over his shoulders as he flexed his large arms.

"True" Brick shrugged, feeling better "Take this slab, you're gonna need it" He picked up the bomb and passed it to Murphy. The Enforcer wore it over his back like a backpack.

"Those Loaders might make things a bit difficult" Axton said as he stared at Lynchwood "I still can't believe how much this place has changed. And I thought it was a shithole before."

"After you killed the Sheriff in that Wild West showdown, this place was bound to change. Unfortunately not for the better" Maya recalled how Axton singlehandedly took on the Sheriff of Lynchwood, Jack's girlfriend, with nothing but a Maggie revolver while his two turrets took care of the marshals aiding her. Murphy smiled and placed his helmet back on his head.

"I can deal with the machines. A.N.N, Ace, do your hear me?" Murphy spoke through his Echo communicator.

"Loud and clear hero, Erick and I just hacked into Lynchwood's security" A.N.N answered through the Echo in Sanctuary.

"We can shut down the machines in the town and the soldiers' comms from here. I can't shut down the cannons and you're gonna have to deal with the bots inside the mine on your own" Erick informed through the Echo "They're on a separate system I can't access. I was able to register your bio-signatures into the cannons IFF scanners. They should see you as friendlies and leave you alone."

"Thanks for the assist Erick" Ari said through her Echo.

"Glad I can still be of service" Erick answered.

"Security should be down in three, two, one" A.N.N began hacking the system, shutting down the robots in the town. They stopped moving and fell to the ground. The soldiers were all surprised, they were vulnerable to attack as their communicators shut down as well.

"Okay guys, ready?" Murphy asked. The group nodded and prepared for attack. Lilith phased her group inside of the mine while Axton lead his team into town. Mordecai climbed up a ladder leading to the rooftops, providing his team with sniper support. Junior flew off his shoulder and attacked a large group of soldiers with his talons.

"KILL!" Brick entered a Berserk state as he charged into the crowd near the center of town. He punched Hyperion soldiers into red mist with his infamous 'Punch you in the face until you die' fighting style.

"Bienvenidos ala fiesta amigos!" Salvador fired his two shotguns into the crowd as he charged into the center of town. One shell ripped right through a Hyperion soldier's stomach and his intestines spilled out onto the desert ground. Mordecai provided both with sniper support as he took potshots at Hyperion troops, their skulls exploding on contact as he fired his Sloth into the crowd.

Gaige and Ari ran near the outside of the bar and were surrounded by a large group Hyperion soldiers "Oh crap" Ari and Gaige said in unison. The soldiers lowered their weapons and started laughing at them.

"Hey, what's so funny?" Ari demanded to know why they were laughing at them.

"Aww, look at the little pipsqueaks. What are you gonna do, torture us to death with teddy bears, rainbows, and unicorns?" said a Hyperion goon. Gaige and Ari were enraged at his insult and evil smiles started creeping over their faces.

"Gaige, if you would be so kind" Ari instructed with a sinister tone as mist formed around her in the shape of angel wings.

"No problem" Gaige stepped back as DT appeared in front of her. The laughing changed and the Soldiers cowered in fear. DT winded a punch and threw a vicious jab forward, knocking a goon's head clean off. The impact caused the severed head to sail backward through one of the building's metal walls. Ari raised her arms up as a blizzard of ice engulfed her and froze the soldiers around her. They shattered into pieces after the blizzard had subsided. DT killed the rest by cutting them apart with his claws and burning them to death with his lasers. After the dust cleared, the soldiers that surrounded the girls were all dead.

"Alright!" they both shouted as they both jumped in the air gave each other a high five. Meanwhile, Axton was running and gunning through the saloon, firing his rifle at Hyperion troops trying to kill him.

"I always loved a good ol' fashioned bar brawl" Axton jumped over the counter and grabbed a bottle of whiskey, slamming it over a soldier's head. He pulled out his Maggie and fired it at the soldiers "Shit!" he yelled as he noticed a soldier with a rocket launcher. He fired it at the commando, blowing a hole right through the wall behind Axton. The soldiers walked slowly toward the counter to see if the Commando was dead. They leaned their heads over the counter and were blasted in the face by Axton's incendiary Conference Call shotgun. The buckshot from the gun lit the men on fire and they slowly turned into a pile of ashes as they screamed. "God I love this town" Axton stood back up, wiped the glass from his uniform and took a swig of a beer he saved.

In town square, Mordecai was firing at a couple of troopers until Axton called him on his Echo "This is way too easy for my liking" Axton shouted.

"What'd you expect? Without communications and Loader support, these guys are a joke" Mordecai answered as he fired at a Hyperion sniper aiming for Brick "I wonder how Murphy and the others are doing?"

"He's fine. With 3 of the 6 Sirens and a master assassin watching his back, those bastards don't stand a chance" Axton yelled confidently.

"Spose your right" Mordecai agreed.

"You should be down here with us, you're missing out on some serious action" Axton said through the Echo as he knocked a Hyperion trooper upside the head with the barrel of his Veruc and slammed the butt of it into his skull the minute he fell on the ground.

"I'd prefer to keep my distance" the Hunter answered as he blasted two troopers in a row with his sniper. Mordecai was never a fan of close encounters, he'd rather shoot his targets from afar with his sniper rifle than dirty his hands like Brick would.

"Suit yourself" Axton shrugged.

Brick continued to pound his enemies to death in town square while Salvador blasted a few troopers near the old jailhouse "I'm glad I decided to stay out here!" Brick yelled as blood covered his fists.

"Brings back some old memories" Salvador said as smacked a trooper over the head with his shotgun barrel and blasted him in the face with his other gun. A soldier charged at the Gunzerker but Junior flew in and ripped the trooper's eyes out with his beak as he pecked deep into his skull.

"Anarchy forever!" Gaige shouted as she fried her enemies with her Plasma Caster and DT smashed their skulls with his fists.

"You really love causing chaos" Ari rolled her eyes at Gaige as she froze the remaining troops and shattered them into pieces as they tried getting close. Hyperion was largely disorganized without Loader support or comms. The troops in the mine could not hear the commotion outside due to the large blast door that guarded it and with the lack of communication, they were completely oblivious to what was going on. Ari started feeling a bit woozy as the blood began to cover the ground. She kept it under control for the most part but her hemophobia was taking its toll on her. After the troops had been dealt with in their area, Ari sat on a barrel to catch her breath and set her mind straight.

"Are you okay?" Gaige asked as she walked toward Ari.

"Yeah, I just need a break from all this excitement" Ari nodded as she brushed some hair out of her face. Gaige patted Ari on the back with her metal arm and smirked.

"At least you didn't faint this time" Gaige joked and the two started laughing.

Axton returned to the sight of where he killed the Sherriff and her marshals, remembering his big win in Lynchwood. He was surrounded by Hyperion troops and he just smiled his cocky grin. He threw his Sabre Turrets out and they fired at the crowd around him. The rounds tore through the crowd with ease while Axton fired his Maggie at the troops above, trying to replicate that moment he had against the Sheriff. As the dust cleared, the enemies were dead and he spun his pistol around his finger to show off his quick hands.

"Feels just like yesterday" Axton stopped fooling around and placed his pistol back in his holster. Brick contacted him through the Echo.

"Axton, if you're not too busy or anything, we could use a hand in town square" Brick bellowed.

"No rest for the wicked" Axton pulled out his Conference Call and marched toward town square "Violence, gore and excitement. You gotta love Lynchwood."


	38. Chapter 37-Lynching: Part 2

Murphy and his team were near the entrance to the mine. The area was like a maze, filled with caverns and rats scurrying about, digging for the rare Eridian technology that lay hidden in the ground. Murphy contacted Salvador to see how things were going in Lynchwood.

"Salvador, how are you holding up?" Murphy asked through his Echo.

"This is the most fun I had in years, Tin Man!" Salvador exclaimed "Take your time with that bomb, I want to keep shooting mierda as long as possible" Maya rolled her eyes and smirked. She knew Salvador was a thrill junkie with an itchy trigger finger and a loose cannon type of attitude. He had always jumped the gun and caused mayhem before the others even had a chance to join in.

"He sounds happy" Montayva joked.

"Trust me honey, when there's something that needs killing or towns that need terrorizing, He's always happy" Maya laughed, joking about his rather destructive tendencies.

"Jokes aside, we should get back to work" Lilith instructed "If we run into anymore Angelic Loaders, stick close to Jason and Zero. We'll be sitting ducks if they collar us with that device again. The boys are the only ones who can protect us" Lilith warned, remembering how vulnerable Ari was when the collar wrapped around her neck.

"Lilith is correct/ If you three are not careful/ Things could get ugly" Zero said directing his head toward the Siren trio. He pulled out a Hammer Buster and began checking his kunai knives.

"Stick close by us, the collars won't affect our capabilities and without Ace watching our backs, Zero and I may not reach you in time" Murphy added "We're a unit so keep a tight perimeter and your heads on swivel." The Sirens nodded in agreement.

"You should speak for yourself Murphy, Johnson wants you captured as well" Montayva reminded Murphy that he was still on Johnson's top priority list.

"He wants the data not the suit and that's with A.N.N in Sanctuary" Maya interjected.

"The suit is still valuable to him and he still seething after what I did to him back in the Roost" Murphy agreed with Montayva's warning "He would enjoy the chance at capturing me and ripping the suit away from me."

"We'll keep each other safe, we won't let Johnson get his hands on us" Lilith smirked assuredly "This is how it works. Jason will plant the bomb in the center of the mine, he's best suited for this with his experience in explosives. Montayva and I will watch his six and keep the Loaders and troops off of him. Zero and Maya will take the high ground and provide us with support, everyone clear?"

"We're clear" Maya assured as she pulled out her Storm sniper rifle.

"Challenge accepted" Zero said.

"Understood" Montayva confirmed. Maya and Zero walked toward the cavern leading to the high grounds while Montayva, Murphy, and Lilith walked near the center cavern. It was dark and dank, making it difficult for them to see. Murphy activated the flashlight in his visor to help the Sirens see through the shadows. They eventually came across a ladder which led to the center above. Light began shinning from the tunnel above and footsteps could be heard above them.

"Guess this is it" Murphy said as he looked at the ladder "Maya, Zero, are you in position?" Murphy only heard static, the cave was interfering with comms "Perfect."

"I hope those two made it without any problems" Montayva prayed for the best.

"They'll be fine, this isn't their first dance. They'll be there when we need them" Lilith assured.

"Well, ladies first" Murphy said, waving his arm to the side and directing the Sirens to the ladder with a gentlemanly gesture.

"I know why you want us to go first Murphy, you just want to ogle" Montayva teased.

"You're saying I want two beautiful women to go ahead of me so I can stare at their sweet asses while we climb a ladder, what gave you that impression?" Murphy asked sarcastically.

"Don't try hiding it, I know what you're thinking, remember?" Montayva pointed her finger at the side of her head.

"Let him stare" Lilith said patting Montayva on her shoulder "Because that's all he's gonna get" she yelled loud enough for Murphy to hear her.

"Maybe for today, but how about tomorrow?" He asked Lilith teasingly. Murphy approached her slowly but she placed her hand on his chest and pushed him back slightly.

"Maybe after we blow this mine to hell, you and I can celebrate" she teased him as she leaned closer to his face. Montayva just laughed, finding their sexual tension rather humorous.

"Well then, here's to good luck" Murphy slapped her on the behind and she frowned playfully.

"Now's not the time for fun and games, Jason" Lilith scolded although she didn't mind it, her body actually enjoyed the interaction.

"Come on, it might be the last chance I get" Murphy shrugged. Montayva shook her head at the two and started climbing.

"You two are going to give me a headache with all this flirting" she joked. Lilith joined her and climbed next, followed by Murphy. Lilith looked down and stared at Murphy when they had reached midway through their climb.

"How's the view down there?" Lilith asked.

"Depends on your idea of the view" Murphy shouted.

"Okay, how's your idea of the view?" she smiled playfully, knowing what he meant.

"Amazing, it's a shame you have to sit on something so pretty though" Murphy teased and Lilith laughed at his joke. They continued the climb and made it to the top. They entered an open area filled with rats, troops and Loaders, digging for Eridian weaponry. The group hid behind some barrels near the entrance to avoid any unwanted attention. Murphy and the others noticed one of the weapons on the table and realized the real reason for why Johnson was interested in Lynchwood.

"They're not looking for a lead on the weapons, they've found them" Montayva explained as she read the moods of the troops and saw the weapons on the table.

"They're not the Champion's weapons but they're the next best thing" Murphy confirmed "If they get their hands on these and figure out how to make more, Sanctuary might be in deep trouble."

"Not if we kill these bastards and blow this place to hell" Lilith told them.

"In which order?" Murphy asked earnestly.

"Order doesn't matter" Lilith answered. Suddenly, a rat jumped behind them and latched itself onto Murphy's back. Murphy tried shaking it off and grabbing its head to crush it but the rat was persistent. It would not let go of his next meal and its quick reflexes allowed him to avoid being caught. The Sirens were ready to shoot it off but Murphy's rapid movements made it hard for them to land a good shot without hurting the Enforcer.

"I've always wanted to try canned meat" the creature slurred as it latched its claws under Murphy's chin. The rat had inadvertently activated the safety feature in Murphy's helmet, lightning discharged from the helmet and fried the rat "I smell delicious!" it shouted as it sizzled to death. This caught the attention of the other rats and the soldiers, causing the group to be spotted.

"This just got really bad" Murphy said. He quickly pulled out his Heavy Metal rifle and opened fire into the crowd, melting them on contact with corrosive bullets. Montayva fired her Dahlminator at the Loaders to keep them at a distance while Lilith fired her Hellfire at the rats to fry them. They were surrounded almost immediately, overwhelmed by the assault. Montayva raised her arm and a shimmering haze filled the air.

"Stop!" she yelled and the mutants and soldiers entered a zombified trance, the Loaders however were still attacking, hell bent on capturing a Siren.

"I've just about had enough of this!" Lilith screamed as burning wings appeared behind her back. She charged at the machines and an explosion of fire engulfed them, turning them into molten metal and circuitry. Murphy felt completely useless, alone he was a force to be reckoned with but compared to the Sirens and their wide range of abilities, he was just a mere mortal waving a stick around like a toy.

"Well this must be what humility feels like" Murphy chuckled, feeling like a weakling. He finished off the zombified enemies with his rifle as the Sirens dealt with the Loaders. From afar in the tower, Johnson noticed the Vault Hunters in the mine's center and climbed down toward the ledge above them, his guards gathered around their leader to protect him.

"Send in the Special Forces now! I want those Sirens in my possession! And take care of that tin fuck!" Johnson yelled as he pointed his finger at Vault Hunters. The Special Forces, escorted by a group of Angelic Loaders, appeared out of the nearby tunnels and attacked the Vault Hunters. One of the Loaders fired a collar at Lilith but Murphy jumped in front of her and caught it with his hand. He crushed it with the greatest of ease and lifted his left arm in the air, digistructing his tesla gauntlet.

"Stay away from her!" he fired a large volt of electricity which fried the incoming enemies. Montayva lifted her arm up and a purple shimmer filled the air. Purple light emanated from the forces' armor plates and they detonated, blood splattered on the ground and all over Murphy and Lilith.

"Ah, gross!" Lilith shouted as she freaked out from the entrails and blood that covered her.

"Sorry, I was trying to save you guys" Montayva shrugged as she blasted an Angelic Loader with her Dahlminator. Johnson looked in the distance and rubbed his eyes in frustration.

"Must I do everything myself" Johnson said as he prepared his Ex-Wife Missile Launcher mounted on his shoulder to fire a stunner missile into the ground near them "Hey Murphy!" he shouted through the Echo. Murphy heard Johnson's voice and knew he was in the mine. He turned toward the ledge and saw his adversary standing above.

"Johnson, I still owe you for trying to kill me!" Murphy began firing his weapon angrily at Johnson's position "I swear to god when I get my hands on you, I'm gonna rip you a new one!"

"That's cute" Johnson scoffed arrogantly "But before you do that, meet my Ex-Wife. Let me warn you though, SHE CAN BE A REAL BITCH!" he fired his stunner missile near the center of the ground. Murphy digistructed his Riot Shield to block it but a purple dome surrounded the group. Montayva had generated her shield to defend them. The missile bounced off her shield and it planted itself on the ground.

"Guess I didn't need this after all" Murphy muttered under his breath, feeling useless as he returned the shield back to the confines of his armor.

"I feel weak" Montayva said meekly as her energy field dissipated and she collapsed on the ground. Lilith fell as well, feeling weak for some reason.

"What's going on, I feel wrong" Lilith stammered as she tried to get back up. The missile was glowing purple with energy as it was draining the Sirens' powers.

"Lilith, Monty, what's going on?" Murphy asked, not understanding how they could be so weak.

"That my friend is an Eridian device created specifically for draining the Sirens' powers. Complements of that dipshit, Duraph. May he rot in hell" Johnson said menacingly "Now get me my damn Siren!"

The troops circled around Murphy and the weakened Sirens. The Enforcer tried to destroy the device with his rifle but an Angelic Loader fired an energy leash from its eye, wrapping itself on his hand and pulling it off the trigger.

"The hell?" Murphy shouted, three other Loaders fired the leash and clasped it onto his other three limbs, causing him to drop his weapon. Murphy would not lie down and allow himself to be captured, he pulled the Loader off of his feet as he tugged the energy leash. The Loaders stunned him with electricity from the leash and brought him to his knees.

"Jason!" Lilith yelled as she tried to set the Loaders on fire but she could barely generate a spark. She tried to fire her SMG but a soldier knocked it from her hand and he smacked her in the head with the butt of his gun. Another did the same to Montayva when she reached for her Dahlminator.

"Son of a bitch, I swear to god if you hurt them I'm gonna…Argh!" Murphy screamed in pain as he felt the electric shock course through his body.

"You won't be doing anything you metal shit" Johnson boomed through the Echo "I can't believe this, I was planning on how to capture you and here you are, wrapped up like a present on Christmas day. Destiny is strange mistress indeed." Murphy screamed again as the Loader shocked him a second time with the leash.

"Bastard, I'm going to kill you!" Lilith screamed bloody murder as she mustered up the strength, punched a trooper in the face and gauged his eyes out with her thumbs. The Loader next to the dead trooper smacked Lilith across the face with his metal hand, knocking her down again.

"Lilith! Johnson, let her go now or I'll… Argh!" Murphy was ready to threaten Johnson again until he was zapped again.

"Holy crap, do I sense a little romance between you love birds?" Johnson noticed how Murphy reacted when Lilith was harmed "This gives me an idea. Before I become king of the universe and find the arsenal, I'm gonna hand my boys that sweet piece of ass and let them have some fun with the red head. I'm gonna make you watch as they violate her, slowly, painfully, sensually. When their done, I'm gonna blow her brains out right in front of you" Johnson laughed sadistically as he fantasized his story. Murphy flew into a rage and tried charging toward his weapon but the Loaders pulled him back and started beating him severely.

"That's enough men, I need him intact" Johnson ordered and the bots backed away. The soldier behind Murphy noticed the bomb he was carrying and pulled it off his back.

"Sir, I found a Thermite Charge. They must have planned to destroy our mine and all the technology inside" the soldier yelled.

"You tricky dick" Johnson insulted "You really think I was gonna allow you to repeat the Roost and the Cauldron, no way in hell. Take them in, bring them to the Nexus so we can prepare for…"


	39. Chapter 38-Lynching: Part 3

Before Johnson could finish, the device that drained the Sirens' powers detonated as an electric round fizzled it out. From that round, multiple electric orbs ejected from it and littered the area. The Orbs zapped the troops and the Loaders surrounding the Vault Hunters, killing them all. The binds that trapped Murphy dissipated into thin air while the Sirens' powers returned to them.

"Sorry for the delay, we got caught up in a little scuffle" Maya said through the Echo. She was sniping with her Storm from a cliff on their east, close to Johnson's position.

"Thanks for the save, Maya" Lilith smirked toward her general direction as she snapped her fingers and lit more Hyperion troops on fire.

"Now where were we, ah yes" Montayva raised her arm and detonated a group of Loaders.

"Payback time, assholes" Murphy stood up and picked up his Heavy Metal rifle, spraying a wall of bullets toward his foes.

"What the hell?" Johnson yelled with anger, in disbelief his plan of capture had been ruined. The men surrounding Johnson charged toward Maya's position but were killed with precision headshots from out of nowhere "Where did that come from?" suddenly, Zero uncloaked and reappeared behind Maya, the barrel of his Hammer Buster was smoking after he killed the men. He approached Johnson with the intent of slaying him with his blade

"Unworthy opponents" Zero scoffed. More troops flying with jetpacks landed around Zero and around Murphy's team "Maya, aid our friends/I'll stay here and fight these fools/Johnson will suffer" Zero pulled out his sword and charged into the crowd. He hacked and slashed the guards' heads off and stabbed another in his sternum. The guards behind Zero tried firing at the Assassin but Zero flipped over a soldier in front of him, landed behind him, grabbed the soldier in a headlock, and used him as a meat shield to protect himself from the bullets. Zero released the dead man and he fell to the ground "My turn" Zero threw his kunai into the throats of the soldiers that attacked him, killing them instantly as their heads exploded from the detonation of the knives on impact. Maya followed Zero's orders and formed wings of toxic smog and ember to fly down to the others position.

"Where do you think you're going, bitch!" Johnson was going to fire his missile and chain gun rounds at Maya but Zero threw kunai knives into them, detonating them on impact. Johnson blocked the last one aiming for his head with his bowie knife "Motherfucker! You know how hard it was to make those!" Johnson yelled with disdain.

"Enough talk, Coward/ Prepare yourself for the end/ See the eyes of death" Zero pointed his sword toward Johnson as he gripped the hilt tightly. Johnson clapped nonchalantly.

"Bravo, creepy speech ninja guy. I'm shaking in my boots" Johnson said sarcastically "You think I'm afraid of death. I've stared that skinny bastard in the eyes and bested him countless times. I cheat death and now I'll do the same to you" Johnson held his knife tight as he and Zero were ready to duel. Suddenly, Hyperion assassins appeared around Zero as they uncloaked and pointed their rifles at him "Like I said, I cheat death" he shrugged as he gave a sinister smile "Fire!"

The eight soldiers that surrounded Zero fired directly at him. However, the bullets passed through him like a mirage and killed three soldiers while wounding the others, nicking them in the legs and arms. The soldiers had a bewildered look on their faces, they knew they fired at Zero but the bullets went through him without even harming him at all. Zero projected an evil smiley emote over his faceplate and a ticking sound could be heard. Zero detonated, creating an electric explosion that killed the soldiers. The image of the Assassin was a well-placed decoy primed to detonate after a few seconds, not the real Zero.

"Okay, now that was pretty bitchin" Johnson complemented Zero's skills "His reputation precedes him, but where is…" Johnson paused as he felt as if the Assassin was behind him. He turned around and swung his knife into what appeared to be thin air but he hit Zero's sword, blocking his attempted assassination. The Assassin uncloaked as he was discovered "Whoa, how did you pull that stunt, ninja?"

"I am everywhere/ And yet, I am nowhere, too/ I am infinite" Zero answered as he pressed his sword against Johnson's knife. Sparks flew as the blades rubbed against each other and the pressure grew.

"You really think you can kill me? Not even death could take me" Johnson bragged.

"My skills exceed his" Zero retaliated. The two jumped back as they entered a stalemate. Zero lifted his sword over his head and entered a Kung-Fu fighting stance while Johnson lifted one fist up in the front of himself and held his knife close to his face with his other hand.

"Let's see how tough you are" Johnson charged in and swung his knife while Zero deflected it with an underhand swing from his blade. Sparks flew as Johnson and Zero continued their duel on the cliffs. Zero threw a roundhouse kick at Johnson's head but the Commander grabbed it with his free hand and flipped Zero back as he threw his foot upwards. Zero controlled the momentum and backflipped by pushing his hand against the ground to jump in mid flip, landing back on his feet with sword in hand.

"Most interesting/ Have I found a worthy foe/ A real challenge?" Zero said with a hint of intrigue. Ever since he came to Pandora, Zero has been itching for a true challenge but nothing had satisfied him, not even Jack or the Warrior. Johnson however seemed to appear as the challenge he was longing for.

"I'm not just a pretty face, you're looking at the top hand to hand combatant in the Hyperion military" Johnson boasted as he gripped his knife "Still undefeated I may add. If you wish to slay me, you're gonna have to work for it."

"This is intriguing/ Johnson, my adversary/ Challenge accepted" the two crossed blades before they began, showing a sense of respect toward one another's skills. The two attacked again, colliding blades and trading blows. Back at the center of the mine on the lower level, Montayva was protecting Murphy and the others while he was looking for the bomb.

"Murphy, did you find the bomb yet?" Maya asked as she Phase-Locked a Loader and created a black hole effect to suck in the enemies around them. Lilith incinerated them with a Phase-Blast while Montayva raised her arm again and detonated more soldiers from their insides.

"Got it!" Murphy yelled as he picked up the bomb from the deceased soldier. He planted it in the middle and began punching in numbers, starting the detonation sequence "Okay, it's primed but we have to stick around for a bit longer."

"What for, we should get out of here while we still can!" Maya shouted over the roar of her Bitch SMG firing into a soldier.

"Bomb is set to go off in five minutes" Murphy informed as he fired his Heavy Metal at a crowd of Loaders and soldiers.

"Meaning?" she asked.

"Meaning they'll have time to deactivate it and this entire mission will be all for nothing" Murphy answered back.

"I can't hold my shield up for much longer" Montayva said. The shield soon failed and disappeared. Bullets from the enemies grazed Montayva in the arm while one entered Maya's knee.

"Get behind my Riot Shield!" Murphy digistructed his shield and blocked the incoming fire. The Sirens hid behind him while providing Murphy with covering fire.

"Looks like that shield isn't as useless as you thought" Montayva said as she took out a Loader and soldier near Murphy's right.

"Still not as good as yours but it comes in handy in situations like these" Murphy fired his Tri-Grenade Launcher into the crowd and killed a large number of troops.

"This isn't working. Lilith, we have to combine our powers" Maya shouted as another round grazed her shoulder.

"Hold on Jason, this is going to be a bumpy ride. Monty, Maya, grab my hand" Lilith demanded. The Sirens held each other's' hands and their tattoos glowed bright blue. Fiery wings formed around Lilith, toxic wings formed around Maya, and sparkling purple wings of energy formed around Montayva. A purple shimmer filled the air, the Loaders and soldiers started floating in the air and one by one detonated. Fire slowly enveloped around Murphy and the Sirens, forming a tornado and burning the enemies that still remained alive. Finally, the tornado formed a sphere and detonated into a large explosion of fire, corrosion, slag, and electricity, killing off the approaching reinforcements. Murphy stood in pure amazement at the sheer power of the women, he never imagined the Sirens could be so powerful.

"Wow, how did you do all of this?" Murphy asked with astonishment.

"Neat trick, huh?" Maya huffed, trying to catch her breath "We learned that technique during a practice run in the Wildlife Exploitation Preserve. We were trying to combine our powers to kill some skags during a test and we ended up learning it."

"Might have been useful if you did it earlier" Murphy said.

"It's a one shot deal, Murphy" Montayva breathed heavily and kneeled down for a second to catch her breath "It may kill a large group of enemies but the attack drains a great deal of our energy. We become vulnerable to attack afterwards."

"I give up, I'll never understand how you're Siren powers work" Murphy scratched his helmet as he tried to find a logical understanding of what they just told him.

"Jason, how much time do we have left before the bomb goes off?" Lilith asked as she wiped some of the enemies' blood from her face and her own sweat from her brow. Murphy looked at the timer and he jumped up in shock.

"We got one minute before this whole place collapses on us" Murphy shouted with a nervous tone "Can you phase us out of here?"

"I have enough for another trip" Lilith assured.

"So do I" Montayva answered.

"Okay, Lilith will phase Maya and I out of here. Try and save Zero, Monty. We'll leave Johnson here to burn" Murphy ordered. Before they left, Murphy grabbed the broken missile which drained the Sirens' powers from the ground and hooked it on his armored wrist. Lilith grabbed onto Murphy and Maya, disappearing in a purple light while Montayva phased toward Zero's position.

Zero and Johnson continued their duel, both evenly matched. Johnson threw a right hook at Zero's head and kicked him in the ribs with his boot, landing both perfectly on Zero. Zero countered by elbowing Johnson in the head and flip kicking him in the jaw. Johnson rushed him, thrusting his knife toward Zero in a downward motion. Zero caught his attack with his sword, struggling to keep Johnson from piercing it through his skull.

"Time to meet your end fool!" Johnson's knife drew closer to Zero, scratching his faceplate. Zero delivered a low blow to Johnson, he crippled in pain and bent forward giving Zero time to knock him back with a straight kick to the gut.

"Not today Johnson/ Unfortunately for you/ I must say farewell" Zero said as he slid his sword back in his sheath.

"Cheating bastard, I'll mount your head on my trophy wall!" Johnson charged at Zero but the Assassin disappeared in a bright haze of purple "Where are you?" Johnson shouted, he turned toward the center near the bottom and noticed Murphy and the others were gone and the bomb was primed.

"Looks like it's time for me to skedaddle" Johnson pulled a device from his belt and pressed a couple of buttons on the panel. He disappeared in a digital flash. The bomb detonated, destroying the entire mine and all its contents, the mission was a success.

Back in Lynchwood, the others were waiting for the return of Murphy and his team near town square. They noticed the explosion from a distance and admired the fireworks.

"Ha! Score one for us!" Axton shouted as he lifted his rifle in the air.

"Yeah but where is…" Before Mordecai could finish, Murphy and the others reappeared in a flash of purple light "Monty!" Mordecai ran toward Montayva and wrapped his arms around her and she did the same to him "Thank god you're alive, you hurt bad?"

"A few scratches but nothing a little insta-health won't fix" she answered. They pulled away from each other and held their hands together.

"Judging from the explosion, the bomb run was a success!" Brick yelled as he slammed his fists together.

"Yeah and that's not all. We had a run-in with Johnson himself" Maya said, pointing her thumb over her shoulder toward the mine.

"Did you get him?" Gaige asked, eager to know if they had won. Johnson's ship flew over their heads and flew straight toward the Arid Nexus in a hurry.

"Damn it, he survived!" Murphy ripped his helmet from his head and threw it at the ground. Zero walked up to Murphy and placed his hand on his shoulder.

"Ease your mind, Murphy/ He will pay for his actions/ I swear by my sword" Zero assured.

"Coming from you, I can believe that" Murphy smiled and placed his hand on Zero's shoulder.

"I almost forgot, I found some Eridium bars back in the Sherriff's old bank. We can use them to heal Erick back at Sanctuary" Axton pulled out an Eridium bar from his belt, tossed it at Lilith and she caught it in her palm "Judging from the sorry look on your face, you might need one yourself, boss lady."

"Appreciate it" Lilith's tattoos glowed blue as she absorbed the bar, restoring her powers and healing her injuries "Ah, I needed that refresher" she said with more energy in her voice.

"That's not the only thing you need" Maya scrunched her nose as the horrid stench of dead bodies began emanating from Lilith. The Siren was covered with blood and entrails from Montayva's untimely save back in the mine.

"Diablo, she ain't the only one either" Salvador exclaimed as he smelled the horrid stench from Murphy's armor, he too was covered in dead.

"I'm so sorry guys" Montayva said softly, feeling bad for covering them in gunk.

"I've been through worse" Lilith said as she pulled out an eyeball from her hair "I really need a shower, this is so disgusting."

"I don't even know what to call this shit on my boots" Murphy shook his leg to get meat chunks out of the joints in his armor "At least I can take this damn armor off and polish it after I get a shower. I feel contaminated. Before it slips my mind, hand this device to Tannis, Axton. Maybe she can figure out what it is" Murphy removed the device from his wrist and passed it to Axton.

"I'll get on that right away" Axton assured.

"After a long day like this, I could sure use some rest" Maya said, stretching her arms.

"Rest, screw rest! We're gonna party all night long at Moxxi's after sticking it to that Hyperion jackass!" Brick yelled as he raised his fist in the air.

"Another fiesta, I like it, I want it!" Salvador shouted as he fist bumped Brick.

"Now that sounds like a plan" Axton said, rubbing his hands together in anticipation for tonight's party.

"I'll enjoy this big win but no booze for me, I'm trying to stay sober" Mordecai said.

"Don't forget to bring a certain someone with you" Montayva teased as she leaned close to Mordecai and brushed his lips with a quick kiss.

"You kidding, it wouldn't be a party without you" Mordecai laughed.

"Well, if you guys insist" Maya shrugged, finally caving in and joining the bandwagon.

"Another party/ After today's hard struggle/ It really sounds good" Zero said with a surprisingly optimistic tone.

"After almost fainting, I need a little fun and games" Ari said, smiling slightly.

"Now that's the spirit! After Erick's healed up, we're going to throw the greatest party ever" Gaige shouted as she flexed her metal arm.

"No party for me, I'm spent" Murphy huffed, scrapping off the blood on his helmet and putting it back on.

"Same" Lilith said, agreeing with Murphy while flicking some blood out of her hair "Now gather around so I can phase us home" Lilith raised her arms and phased everyone back to Sanctuary.


	40. Chapter 39-Prisoners No More

It was night on Pandora. The Vault Hunters with the exception of Lilith and Murphy were all out partying at Moxxi's Bar, celebrating their victory in Lynchwood. Johnson's back was against the wall, his troops were scared and largely disorganized after coordinated assaults on his strongholds by the Slabs and the destruction of his mine by the Vault Hunters. Murphy had been the reason for the sudden turning of the tide. He had given the Vault Hunters an edge with his skills and his impressive leadership abilities, almost equal to that of Roland himself. For his much needed assistance in the battle, the Hunters gave Murphy the room on the top floor. The room was ripped apart during Sanctuary's initial take-off after a mortar strike from Handsome Jack. After the much needed renovations, it became a bedroom instead of the storage room it used to be. Axton and Salvador wanted to make it a trophy room to mount their game from Hammerlock's expedition in Aegrus on the walls but the others persuaded them against it.

Lilith had disappeared into the bathroom to wash the gunk off of her and Murphy was upstairs, wearing nothing but some shorts as he scrubbed his armor clean. After hours of cleaning, he was done. He laid his back on top of his new bed, large enough to fit two people. Murphy began contemplating his adventures and how much he had changed over the past couple of weeks. He was no longer the cold hearted machine filled with regret and loathing but a man reborn in his own skin. This newfound change was because of Lilith and all the things he had done for him. The Siren was not like most women, she was hot headed and fierce but kind, spirited and compassionate as well. She too had changed because of Murphy, from the closed hearted woman who was afraid of letting anyone get close to the happy go lucky Vault Hunter she was during her first adventure.

Murphy was ready to hit the hay until Lilith appeared outside his door, wearing a bath robe. Murphy was wide awake when he saw her at the door.

"Mind if I come in?" she smirked, already knowing his answer.

"I could use the company" he waived his hand, signaling her to come in. Lilith walked into Murphy's new accommodations. She locked the door behind her and slowly approached Murphy's bedside.

"Nice digs" Lilith eyes wandered the room.

"I still think I don't deserve such a gift. I've only been here for a couple of weeks and you guys have been fighting here for years. You guys deserve a room like this" Murphy added, feeling undeserving of his reward.

"And you have done as much good here in those weeks as we did in those years, you've earned it" Lilith slowly crawled toward him on the bed and placed her hips on top of his as he lied on his back "And you've earned this" she leaned over and kissed him gently, savoring the moment. He wrapped his arms around her and she snuggled into his embrace. Murphy tried to unwrap himself from her grasp "What's wrong?" she asked, breathing lustily.

"Nothing it's just… you don't have to rush this if you don't want to. You don't have to do this because of me, you've done so much for me already" Murphy insisted although he wanted her with him for this moment. She smiled at his concern for her.

"Jason, we could die today or tomorrow. I want to spend this moment with you because it may be our last" she traced her finger down the scar on his lip and he looked into her smoldering eyes "I love you."

"I love you" Murphy returned as he stroked his hand gently against her cheek. He sat up and kissed her eagerly and more passionately. Both slowly let go of their inhibitions in that moment. Murphy removed her bath robe, tossing it toward the floor and exposing her naked body. Lilith removed his shorts and pressed her hips against his. She kissed him more hungrily as he entered her. They started off slow and gentle, trying to ease into the moment. Murphy held her close as he linked his fingers into her damp red hair, gently pulling her head back, to gain access to her neck. He kissed her on her neck, trailing his lips down her throat, feeling her rapid pulse. She circled her hands around his head and held him close, running her fingers through his hair. Lilith's breathing grew heavier and faster paced with each act of passion. Murphy's lips trailed up her neck, across her cheek, and finally kissed her again on the lips. Lilith placed her hands on Murphy's chest, pushed him downward and pressed his back against the bed. She increased her pace, thrusting her hips faster, forcing Murphy to do the same.

Murphy's hands moved over her calves and slowly crawled upward. In this climb, he moved his hands over her thighs, her hips, her abdomen, her breasts, her shoulders, her neck, finally reaching her face and cupping his hands around her cheeks. He gently pulled her head closer to his and kissed her eagerly. She whimpered into his mouth as he continued to kiss her. She clung to him, pressing her breasts on his bare chest. Murphy took the lead, scooped Lilith up in his arms, and flipped her over so he could be on top of her. She wrapped her legs around his hips. Murphy increased the pace even further and she began moaning louder and harder. She gripped the bed sheets tight with her hands as ecstasy slowly flowed through her body while Murphy traced his hand over the Siren markings on the left side of her body. Lilith gripped her legs tighter around his hips and clutched the sheets tighter with her hands, wanting more from him. Her desire for him finally overcame her and she pulled him in to land a passionate kiss on the lips.

She flipped him over again to take the lead once more. Lilith's hair flew over her eyes as her pace became rapid. She leaned over and kissed his neck, trailing her lips down his shoulder. After she was done, she leaned over backwards and moved her hips forward, further feeding his lust for her. Her hair hung down the back of her neck as she looked up into the ceiling. Her hands grasped the sheets again, clinging to them as tight as she could as her hips moved faster and faster. Murphy moved his hands over Lilith's stomach and he reached for her breasts, cupping them firmly in his hands. Their pace kept increasing and her moans grew louder and more erotic with every thrusting motion. She screamed with ecstasy when she climaxed long and hard, spurring his release. She released her grip on the sheets and laid her body on top of his while she caught her breath, her face tucked into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. Lilith looked up and crawled upward until they were at eye level. Murphy tucked the loose hairs over her ear to see her eyes again. They gave each other one last kiss and they fell asleep. He pulled the blanket over himself and Lilith. She moved over to his side and rested her head on his chest. He looped his arm over her shoulders and held her close.

It was finally morning. When Lilith awoke, she was resting her stomach on the bed and not in Murphy's embrace. She turned her head toward her right and noticed Murphy was gone. He wasn't sleeping in the bed and her head was lying on a pillow "Jason?" she started as she looked around for him. She finally found him, standing behind her, getting dressed in the clothes she gave him. Lilith flipped over and sat up, covering herself with the blanket as she held it close to her chest "Hey" Lilith smiled. When he heard her voice, Murphy turned around and noticed Lilith was awake. He sat by her bedside and placed his hand on her cheek.

"Hey" he leaned over and gave her a good morning kiss "Sleep well?"

"Yeah, I'm surprised you didn't snore" Lilith joked "How about you?"

"Best sleep I had in years" he emphasized. Murphy placed his hands on his neck and rubbed it, trying to ease his sore muscles.

"Are you alright?" she frowned when she noticed him in pain.

"Yeah, I'm fine" he assured "Just been out of the game for far too long."

"You're not the only one who's a bit rusty" Lilith stretched her legs and placed her hand on her abdomen "Sucks getting old."

"Thank god old age hasn't ruined our good looks" Murphy laughed.

"You know, we still have some time on our hands, think you can go another round?" Lilith teased.

"I have time to fit it into my busy schedule" Murphy placed his hand on the blanket, pulling it up to reveal her legs. He ran his hand down her calf.

"How about you fit it in now" Lilith pulled him in and landed a kiss on his lips. Murphy lost himself in the moment and readied himself to remove the blanket from the rest of her body. Before things could go further, the sound of someone knocking on the door snapped them back to reality.

"Murph, its Erick. I think I learned something new about your armor that may prove useful in those tight spots" Erick yelled from behind the door "Have you seen Lilith? No one's seen her since last night."

"I'm right here, Erick" Lilith said loud enough for him to hear her.

"Oh, that…explains things. I'm… just gonna head down the stairs and wait for you in the lobby. Don't forget to bring your armor and... yeah" Erick stammered as he walked downstairs.

"Mood killer" Murphy grumbled.

"We'll have time later, grab your armor and meet up with the others. I'm gonna head to the bathroom and get another shower. Be there soon" Lilith yawned as she rubbed her eyes with her fist.

Meanwhile, Erick, fully recovered thanks to some Eridium, was sitting on a chair next to the couch. He was holding four bars of Eridium in his hands. Axton and Zero were playing video games on the couch again while A.N.N was placed on the table in front of them, enjoying the show. The others were walking around town. Murphy emerged from the steps, wearing his armor.

"Murph, you're just in time to see Axton get his ass kicked again by Zero" Erick joked. Axton threw his remote to the ground as Zero landed a finisher on him.

"I give up, I can't win" Axton sulked as he placed his hands on his head in frustration. Zero placed his hand on Axton's back.

"Don't lose hope, Axton/ Maybe one day you will win/ Just keep on trying" Zero said with a smiley face emote projecting over his faceplate.

"When skags fly" A.N.N laughed, mocking Axton's video game skills

"That's already happened. Zed made some flying skags in a sick twisted experiment a while back and I'm still losing to this ninja" Axton continued with his negative attitude. He turned around and noticed Murphy "Hey Murphy, you missed one hell of a party last night. You should have been there."

"Well I was busy doing something" Murphy answered. Lilith came charging down the stairs, dressed up for action.

"Busy doing _something_ or busy doing _someone_?" Axton teased as he raised an eyebrow toward Lilith.

"I have a few ideas with _whom_" Zero turned his head toward Lilith and projected a heart shaped emote over his faceplate as a joke.

"Whatever Jason was doing, it was _a lot_ more exciting than you two getting drunk in a bar and eyeing Moxxi all night long" Lilith shot back at the two for their snide comments.

"Ouch, burn" Zero chuckled.

"Boss lady has us beat there" Axton shrugged, unable to make a witty comeback.

"Whatever, just don't go into the details. The less I know the better" Erick waived his arms up and shook his head, not wanting to hear about Murphy and Lilith's late night escapades.

"I'm glad for you two. You deserve each other" A.N.N said with compassion. Erick walked up and handed Murphy the bars of Eridium.

"What am I supposed to do with this? Slam Earl upside the head with it" Murphy joked not understanding why Erick would hand him Eridium.

"No, you're gonna absorb it and unlock the suit's full potential" Erick smiled confidently.

"Unlock it's full potential?" Murphy said with a confused tone "A.N.N, what's he talking about?"

"I have no idea, it's the first time I've heard of it" A.N.N shrugged.

"Let me explain" Erick started "From my memories of the conflict, the Champion had these amazing abilities with the suit. He could do all these mind-blowing things with it, fire lightning from his arm, weaken enemies with slag, melt them with corrosion, and he had some pretty badass weapons and defenses."

"I have those already" Murphy explained. Erick shook his head.

"Yeah but you're not using those abilities to the fullest" Erick continued "I believe when the Champion hid his suit, he locked away many of its abilities so no one could abuse them for personal gain. The only way to reactivate those abilities is with Eridium."

"And you're telling us this now?" A.N.N wondered.

"There are a lot of memories trapped in this noggin, it takes time to process all the information" Erick said apologetically "I'd completely forgotten about the Champion but when Murph mentioned him, the memoires resurfaced. Not immediately, just slowly."

"How do I absorb this stuff, Ace?" Murphy asked as he stared at the glowing purple bars.

"Just recite the inscription on the armor and allow the magic to work" Erick pointed at his chest where the glowing markings were. Murphy widened his stance and braced himself.

"I'm not gonna grow a third arm or something?" Murphy joked nervously.

"Quit stalling and do it already!" Axton yelled impatiently, eager to see what would happen next. Murphy took a deep breath and recited the words.

"I am the guardian of the vaults and champion of my people, fighting for another sunrise" the suit's red markings changed into a shade of purple and started glowing bright. The bars disappeared into the armor and the suit began digistructing new pieces of hardware over itself. The Suit became slightly bulkier around the upper torso, arms, and shoulders with reinforced Eridian plating. Murphy's left arm had his tesla gauntlet with lightning surging through the coils and wires. His right arm had his Tri-Grenade Launcher and his Slag Cannon. Murphy's left shoulder had an Eridian chain gun with glowing red markings and a targeting laser on the side. It could fire laser rounds with all four different elements. Murphy's right shoulder had an advanced Caster weapon that could fire powerful Gauss rounds that could pierce through anything. Metallic, almost alien, wings formed around his back. After he was done absorbing the Eridium, the markings changed back to their red color.

"Holy shit, this is awesome!" Murphy shouted in amazement as he felt the suit's newfound powers. His hands started glowing bright orange for some strange reason "Guys, what's going on?" Murphy wondered as he was not in control of heating his hands. Murphy fired a powerful thermal laser from his hands and blasted the ground, causing him to recoil and fall on his back. The ground lit on fire after the blast.

"Fuck! Grab the extinguisher!" Axton yelled. Lilith grabbed it from the wall and sprayed the fire with the white foam, extinguishing the flame before it could cause further damage. Murphy stood back up and dusted himself off. His hands were pitch back again as they cooled off.

"That wasn't my fault" Murphy said. The armor digistructed the newfound hardware back into its confines to be used for a later time.

"Most intriguing" Zero said impressively at Murphy's newfound powers.

"And I thought you were a badass before, with this new upgrade of yours, you're death on legs" Axton exclaimed.

"I never imagined the suit could be so powerful" A.N.N added in amazement.

"So Jason, what do we call this new mode of yours?" Lilith asked, trying to find a good name for the suit's maximum power.

"Ask Ace, he helped discover it" Murphy added. Erick rubbed his chin in thought and came up with a good name for it.

"I got it, how about Riot Mode?" Erick said.

"I like it. It sounds intimidating" Murphy agreed with the name "I'll give this a test drive later."

"Can't wait to see that" A.N.N said.

"Before I forget, did Tannis discover what that device was?" Murphy asked Axton, remembering the device he found back in Lynchwood.

"She's still working on it. She'll update us sometime later" Axton answered.

"Which gives us time to experiment a little. Come on, let's give the suit a whirl" Erick said. Erick and Murphy walked outside to put the suit's new powers through their paces.


	41. Chapter 40-Shoot to Thrill

Murphy and Erick were in town square, testing out Murphy's new Riot Mode. The others eventually gathered around to see what his armor was capable of. Lilith, Maya, and Montayva were standing near the center building which housed the Fast Travel just north of Erick's position. Mordecai, Brick, Zero, Axton, and Salvador were sitting on top of a couple of boxes south of Murphy's position. Ari and Gaige were with Erick, helping him set up the test. Ari was holding A.N.N in her hand. Maya had a curious look on her face when she looked at Lilith, her friend had an unusually cheery look on her face, and even for Lilith it seemed odd.

"So Lilith, what did you do while we were at the party last night?" Maya inquired.

"I took a shower and went to bed. Pretty simp" Lilith answered rather quickly. Montayva knew she was hiding something, she could read her mood like a book.

"For something pretty simple, you seem too happy about it" Montayva added "Plus, judging from the fact it appeared as if no one had slept in your bunk, you obviously weren't sleeping in _your bed_. Then add the fact you were missing the entire night. And from what Axton told us, you just magically showed up walking down from the top floor of the HQ. Come to think of it, this is after Murphy received his new room on the top floor. Did you _do_ anything else after you showered?" Montayva raised an eyebrow in interest.

"Maybe I was busy with something" Lilith smirked.

"No!" Maya had a look that screamed _I know what you did last night _"You slept with him, didn't you?" Maya scooted over closer, eager to hear the details.

"Not so loud! Someone could hear you" Lilith elbowed Maya in the arm as the heat of embarrassment showed on Lilith's face.

"Shut up! You did sleep with him! You need to go into the details now. How was it?" Maya urged as she cheekily leaned her head closer to Lilith to hear the juicy details of last night.

"Hey, not to sound like a jerk or anything but we're running an important test here. Gossip on your own time" Erick shouted so the three Sirens could hear him. He wanted to keep his mind on work and less on what Murphy and Lilith did in the bedroom. Maya wasn't helping with her curiosity and her constant probing into the matter. "Okay Murph, we're gonna test out the suit's offensive capabilities real quick. I'll throw a dish up in the air and you'll use one of the weapons from Riot Mode to break'em. Ready?" Erick prepared himself to throw the dishes in his hand. Murphy stretched his arms and legs as he prepared for the test run.

"Give me a second Ace, I need to ready myself" Murphy shook his hands and jumped in place a few times to get the jitters out of his system.

"A test for what mode?" Montayva asked, showing more interest in the test rather than Lilith's late night shenanigans.

"Don't worry, you'll see" Lilith said with a look of anticipation.

"Stop fooling around Tin Man, I want to see what's so damn important about this test" Salvador yelled, annoyed that he was stuck with doing nothing instead of shooting stuff in the firing range.

"Relax Salvador/ This test will be worth the wait/ That I assure you" Zero nodded toward the Gunzerker.

"Zero ain't kidding, this will make shooting those Hyperion assholes look dull" Axton backed Zero on his statement.

"Nothings more fun than shooting those pendejos, that I assure you carbon" Salvador still showed little interest.

"Not to rush you or anything but we don't have all day, partner" A.N.N urged.

"Fine, activating Riot Mode" Murphy's armor began digistructing the new hardware on his body. The men jumped out of their seats while the women eyes shot open with amazement. Axton, A.N.N Lilith, Erick, and Zero were the only few that remained unfazed due to the fact they had seen this new mode before.

"Holy crap, you didn't tell me he could do that, Mordy" Brick bellowed as he looked on.

"First time I've ever seen him do it, amigo" Mordecai admitted.

"You guys weren't kidding, this is more awesome than shooting things!" Salvador exclaimed.

"Holy crap, since when could he transform his armor like that? He looks so badass!" Gaige asked with excitement in her voice. She walked around Murphy to examine his new hardware.

"Since this morning. Erick discovered it" A.N.N answered. Lilith and the other Sirens noticed how much Murphy's new mode kind of resembled theirs when they were at full strength. One of the familiar features were the metal wings which looked like their Siren wings.

"This is amazing! He truly is connected to our history" Maya exclaimed, having a faint familiarity with the suit after it unleashed it's powers. Erick readied himself to throw a dish.

"Okay Murph, ready?" Erick asked.

"Ready" Murphy answered as he lifted his hand up toward the sky "Pull!" he shouted. Erick threw the first dish up and Murphy shattered it with a thermal laser from his hand "Pull!" Erick did it again and he threw two this time. Murphy shattered both with two lasers, each from one hand "Pull!" Erick threw another dish and Murphy fired it with his tesla gauntlet, shattering it with an electric volt "Pull!" he shouted again but this time Erick threw two metal dishes instead of the regular ones. Murphy fired his Eridian chain gun on one shoulder and tore one dish to shreds with corrosive rounds while drilling a giant hole through the other one with his Caster weapon on the other shoulder.

"Nice shooting, Murph" Erick complemented Murphy on his marksmanship "That was just the weapons test, now it's time to test your defenses" lightning began surging through Erick's hand as he pointed it toward Murphy "Ready?" Murphy braced himself for the electric volt and lifted his arms over his face, crossing them together to form a blocking position.

"Ready" Murphy nodded. Erick fired a super charged blast at Murphy. Lilith looked away out of worry for his safety. Before the blast could land a direct hit on Murphy, a giant red colored bubble shield formed around the Enforcer and deflected the blast. Lilith looked back toward Murphy to see if he was okay.

"Thank god" Lilith sighed under her breath.

"Relax Lilith, they know what they are doing" Montayva placed her hand on the red haired Siren's shoulder to ease her stress.

"I know, it's just with Erick's loose cannon type of attitude, he may go a little overboard with these tests. And then there's the rivalry these two share" Lilith said with a little shakiness in her tone.

"Monty did say they made amends after the Shelf" Maya said "Erick won't let his emotions get the best of him."

"They're friends now but the rivalry is still there" Montayva sensed the two respected one another but if they had a chance to settle the score, they would jump on it at a moment's notice.

"That's reassuring" Lilith joked although it worried her even further.

"Looks like my Riot Shield got an upgrade as well, Ace" Murphy digistructed the shield back inside the armor. He looked toward Ari to ask her if the next test was ready "Ari, ready for the flight test?"

"I thought you said you couldn't fly?" Montayva laughed, remembering the conversation the two had earlier during his initial stay in Sanctuary.

"You learn something new every day" Murphy's metal wings started moving and the thrusters on his boots began firing up the thrusters. Jet fire and smoke exhumed from the heel of his boots and the calves of his legs.

"The Surveyor drones around Sanctuary are ready to record the test, Murphy. We should be able to see you flying in the air through my laptop" Ari instructed. Out of interest, everyone gathered around Ari and averted their gaze toward the laptop's screen with the exception of Erick who stood next to Murphy.

"How bout we make things interesting Murph" Erick formed devil wings out of the lightning that discharged from his back.

"How so, Ace?" Murphy asked.

"We still have a score to settle and I think a little race around Sanctuary should be the best way to end it" Erick remembered the rivalry they had during Murphy's arrival. It was pretty heated and it almost ended with a fist fight at the Shelf "Ready to fly?"

"Ready Ace, may the best man win" Murphy stretched his hand toward Erick to give him a gentlemanly handshake as a gesture of friendship and good sportsmanship. Erick shook his hand in return.

"Don't worry, _I_ will" Erick smirked, confident that he would win the race. Murphy paid no mind to it and prepared himself for flight. Gaige ran out and held a flag in her hand.

"You boys ready?" Gaige asked and both responded with a nod "On your mark" electricity surged through Erick's body fiercely while Murphy's thrusters started heating up "Get set" Murphy and Erick began flapping their wings in preparation "GO!" Gaige exclaimed as she waived the checkered flag up and down in the air. The two took off in a hurry and disappeared into the sky in a flash. The wind that mustered from their initial takeoff blew into the faces of everyone around them, blowing their hair over their faces and throwing dust into the air. Both were neck and neck as they started their lap around the flying city. Murphy decided to make things more exciting by playing music through the speakers in his helmet. Erick turned toward Murphy and noticed the song he was playing.

"Shoot to Thrill by AC/DC" Erick recognized the song because he was the one who uploaded it into Murphy's helmet during his birthday bash.

"That's right Ace. I thought it would be fitting for the race" Murphy yelled over the noise of wind blowing over them.

"What makes you say that?" Erick inquired, cocking his eyebrow.

"It's fitting because every time you hear this song, you'll remember the day I made you eat my thruster exhaust!" Murphy shouted as he sped past Erick, putting distance between himself and the Brother.

"Bullshit! I'm winning this" Erick shot back arrogantly as lightning surged violently around his body. He eventually caught up with Murphy as he turned past Scooter's shop. The other's viewed the race through the Echo. Axton and Zero were making their usual wager. Maya just gave them a look that screamed _you two are idiots._

"My money's on Murphy. There's no way he can lose" Axton said as he placed his money on top of a box he was sitting on.

"Erick will win this/ He is more experienced/ In aviation" Zero said as he placed his money on the box as well.

"Men" Maya whispered to Lilith, finding the race and the bets amusing. Lilith just smirked and rolled her eyes at them

"We heard that!" Axton and Zero said as they nudged the blue haired Siren in the ribs. Maya gave them a threatening glare to back off or else. Axton turned away and whistled nervously while Zero turned invisible. Both may be skilled in combat but they knew that they were no match for the wrath of a Siren. Maya smirked slyly and turned her gaze back toward the screen.

"Who's winning?" Gaige asked.

"Looks like Jason is ahead for the moment" Lilith said, hoping Murphy would win the race.

"Erick's holding back. He's trying to show off again" Ari snickered, knowing what her older brother was doing. Gaige chuckled wickedly, knowing Erick still had a trick up his sleeve. Erick charged past Murphy as a stream of lightning flowed behind him. Murphy was losing as Erick picked up the pace. It was nearing the end of the race and Erick was going to win as they were going to make the final turn over Claptrap's Diner.

"Looks like you'll be eating my dust, Murph" Erick boasted as he was about to cross the finish line.

"Hey Ace, guess what?" Murphy said with a hint of confidence even though he was losing.

"What?" Erick asked as he drew closer to crossing the line.

"You just lost!" Murphy pointed his hands toward his back and used a concentrated laser blast from his palms as secondary thrusters. He breezed past the Brother and defeated him as he crossed the line. Lilith, Axton, and the others cheered as Murphy defeated Erick. Zero, Ari, and Gaige had disheartened looks on their faces because they wanted Erick to win, especially Zero who placed a bet on him. Axton approached the Assassin and placed his hand in front of him, demanding he pay up.

"Come on, ninja. I won fair and square so hand over my winnings" Axton had a cocky grin on his face. Zero projected an angry face emote over his faceplate and grumbled for a bit before finally handing Axton his money. Murphy and Erick landed in front of the group and they were greeted with applause. Murphy's armor returned to normal while the wings around Erick dissipated into thin air.

"Bravo, you two were amazing" Maya said, complementing their aviation skills.

"Guess you did pretty well for your first flight, Murph. You're good aviator, better than me at least" Erick said with a hint of wounded pride. Murphy patted Erick on his back.

"Don't sell yourself short, Ace. You're a good flyer in your own right" Murphy said, trying to be kind. Axton walked up and handed Murphy a share of his winnings "What's this for, Axton?" he asked with a confused tone.

"For helping me finally beat Zero in something" Axton said proudly. Lilith just chuckled at his childish behavior.

"You actually beat Zero in a bet, what kind of sick twisted universe have we entered?" Erick joked.

"Hilarious, almost forgot to laugh!" Axton exclaimed sarcastically.

"Goes to show you can't win them all, right Zero?" Maya teased the Assassin as she patted him on the back.

"I guess so, Maya" Zero shrugged. He knew Maya was trying to provoke him into biting back but he wouldn't give either Axton or Maya the satisfaction. Zero had his moments but he never lost his cool when push came to shove.

"Now that's what I call flying, slabs" Brick approached the two flyers and patted them on the back "You could teach my boys back in Thousand Cuts a thing or two."

"It appears that the test was successful" A.N.N said, impressed with the suit's new abilities which Murphy agreed with. Lilith approached Murphy and took his hand in hers.

"Congrats on the win, Jason" Lilith said as she leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Do I get a prize for winning?" Murphy asked teasingly as he removed his helmet.

"Maybe, you'll just have to wait and see" she teased back at him, giving him a quick kiss.

"Looks like you two are hitting it off well. Glad you took my advice when you did, Murphy" Mordecai added, remembering his conversation with Murphy about romance. The two just looked at him and smiled "Just remember to keep her happy cause if you break my best friend's heart, I'll put a round through your dome" he joked and Murphy laughed.

"If he does break my heart, you won't have the chance to kick him to the curb" Lilith laughed, giving Murphy a rather playful look. Before they could continue the conversation, Tannis called from the Echo to inform every one of her progress on studying the device.

"Greetings everyone. If you are done lollygagging about, please return to the HQ so I may go over my findings on the Eridian device. I promise that you will find it rather interesting" she said in a rather insulting tone. Interested in hearing her findings, Murphy and the others walked back to the HQ to see what she found.


	42. Chapter 41-Ace in The Hole

Everyone gathered around the Control center in the top floor to hear what Tannis had discovered about the device Johnson used to drain the Sirens of their phase powers. She placed the device on top of the holographic map and she was cradling lab notes and ancient Eridian transcripts in her arms. Murphy and Erick stood next to Tannis near the far end of the table, closest to the balcony. The Sirens and Gaige stood to the right while the men stood to the left. A.N.N was inserted into the map, her visage appearing over the map.

"Tannis, what have you uncovered from Johnson's device?" Erick asked, rubbing his chin with his metal hand in thought.

"The device you have given me has proven to be a rather interesting find" Tannis said, playing around with her science goggles like an infant "It is based off ancient Eridian technology used during the Great War between your Corrupted sibling and his followers. He used devices similar to this one against his Siren sisters during the conflict."

"So Richard and his followers used something like this against the Sirens that fought for our mother?" Erick raised an eyebrow in interest. He may have been gifted with knowledge about his history but there were still blanks in his memory, one of the side effects of having multiple incarnations.

"Richard? That's the Corrupted's real name?" Murphy chuckled a bit.

"That is his name, Murph. What, you think it's funny?" Erick had a somewhat disgruntled look when Murphy thought the name was silly.

"I'm sorry but that's not the name I expected to hear. I thought it would be more intimidating or ancient but Richard? Not very imposing I must say" Murphy snickered.

"And Johnson is such a scary name? Do you know how many jokes I could make with that name?" Axton added sarcastically.

"His name may be a joke to you Jason but Richard was no laughing matter. He almost killed us when we faced him in the Blight" Lilith remembered the massive battle between the Vault Hunters and Richard. It took everything they had and then some to truly defeat the being, their evil Siren sister Eve, and his Bloodshot servants.

"Sorry we missed the fight, amigos. Wished we could have been there to take those putas down" Salvador spoke for himself and Zero as both were absent during the battle with the Corrupted Brother. Zero had disappeared into the desert, doing his own thing while Salvador had to stay with his grandmother in Ovejas.

"You're both here now, helping us to defeat Hyperion once and for all. That's what matters at this point" Maya turned her head and smiled at the two. She was glad they were able to return to the team and be of much needed assistance.

"It is a pleasure/ To be of service once more/ Our foes will all fall" Zero assured as he bowed his head toward Maya.

"May we return to the subject at hand" Tannis grew more irritated when they began to talk about their past endeavors instead of focusing at the task at hand. The others nodded and turned their attention toward Tannis "Good. Years ago, The Corrupted Brother, or Richard as you prefer to call him, was losing the war with the five Sirens and his fellow counterpart. Using his knowledge of the Sirens and their powers, he created an ancient device which siphoned the Sirens' energy. This in turn weakened them to near mortality while increasing Richard's own capabilities."

"Like Duraph's machine back in the Dust" Maya added and Tannis nodded, proving the blue haired Siren correct "When he used it on us, it drained our powers and he stored our energy in the device. He bragged about utilizing it at his own leisure after he'd finished us off."

"It was a good thing Monty saved us when things turned sour. Who knows what would have happened if she hadn't showed" Lilith patted Montayva in the back, showing her gratitude.

"Yeah but Monty won't be able to save us this time. It's way too dangerous for you four to get caught in a situation like that" Mordecai pointed to the four Sirens standing across from him "Johnson's got his hands on the device now and he's more dangerous than Duraph ever was. There's no telling how many of these anti-Siren weapons he has. We can't risk a scenario of you girls getting caught."

"We're not damsels Mordecai, we can handle ourselves" Lilith yelled at Mordecai, feeling he saw them as the weak link to the team.

"No we can't" Montayva inserted herself into the discussion to give her thoughts on the topic "Mordecai is correct, Lilith. Remember how weak and defenseless we were in Lynchwood? The only reason we are still here is because we were lucky. If Maya and Zero hadn't made it in time to save us, we'd be trapped in a prison somewhere in the Nexus, being tortured and violated by Johnson's men until he got what he wanted from us. As much as it displeases me to say this, we'll have to rethink our usual tactics. We'll have to let the boys and Gaige take charge in combat from now on."

"She's right, we can't just jump straight into the fray like we used too anymore" Maya rubbed her eyes in frustration as she had a hard time coming to terms with the truth.

"Damn it! I hate feeling useless!" Lilith threw her arms up in the air infrustration.

"There goes our edge" Axton grunted.

"The device can drain the Sirens' energy but what about the Brother Guardian's?" Ari questioned curiously.

"No, the device was tailored specifically to be used against the Sirens only. The Brother's energy is different when compared to his sisters, giving him immunity to the device's energy leeching effects. In the conflict, his immunity to the device allowed him to battle on without the aid of his weakened sisters but it was not enough…" Tannis was ready to continue her explanation into the matter until Murphy interjected.

"Then the Champion involved himself in the conflict. His armor placed him on even ground with the Sirens and the Brother" Murphy said and Tannis nodded, confirming his suspicions.

"Correct Neanderthal, the Champion's armor and arsenal allowed him to combat the dark hordes and send them back to the abyss" Tannis continued "With their combined powers, the Champion and the Brother were able to seal away Richard and his minions once and for all" Tannis placed an ancient piece of scripture on the table. It had Eridian writings on the side and a picture of an angelic entity of electricity on the left being added by what appeared to be an Eridian with advanced weaponry on the right. In the middle was a dark figure holding a bolt of lightning in his hand. Five women with wings were flying above them, entrapping another winged woman while attacking the dark figure. The two on the ground were attacking the dark being, pushing him into an ancient prison, the Vault.

"Amazing, my armor was used to defeat that abomination centuries ago" Murphy looked in interest at the picture "How could a simple piece of hardware be so powerful?"

"Because it is not just a simple piece of hardware, as you put it" Tannis argued "The armor and the weapons were forged by the Champion himself but they were bestowed with the very energy of the Brother Guardian. The energy from the being increased their power, giving the technologies capabilities only the Sirens and the Brother could ever possess."

"Looks like we're connected to each other in more ways than one, Murph" Erick turned toward and Murphy did the same with Erick "This must explain my affinity with technology if I helped create your armor all those years ago."

"Makes sense, nothing this powerful could be made by technology alone" Murphy agreed with Erick "I know the Sirens can combine their powers and use them in unique ways. Could Erick and I do the same?"

"Yes, your combined strength was the reason for the Corrupted Brother's imprisonment all those centuries ago" Tannis rolled up the paper and held it in her arm.

"This gives us back the edge against Hyperion" Mordecai said, stroking his beard "Judging by how Johnson shows no interest in you Erick, he has no idea what you really are and what you're capable. Sumbitch is gonna be surprised after you fry his ass" he smiled confidently.

"And he has no clue about Murphy's new mode. We have the element of surprise on our side" Gaige said, placing her arms on the table and leaning forward to get a look of the map.

"Then there's their immunity to the device. Johnson lacks any true countermeasures to combat their combined powers" Montayva added

"I say we head to the Nexus and rip that bastard's heart out. Let's end this war once and for all!" Brick slammed his fist into his palm. Murphy shook his head and disagreed.

"Even with the Slabs and our added firepower, it still may not prove enough to stop Hyperion once and for all" Murphy argued "We can't just rush into this expecting an automatic victory. We need a plan."

"How about we go after Jack's old armory under Freedom City" A.N.N projected the map of the area "Johnson hasn't found it yet, buying us some time to search the armory. With an army of Loaders on our side, we could lead a full frontal assault against the fortress in the Arid Nexus."

"That sounds like a good plan. The only problem is we don't know the exact location of the armory's entrance" Axton said "We know it's somewhere in the old construction site but like Erick said before, it could take weeks to find."

"We have time" Brick assured "With my Slabs making life hell for Hyperion and Moxxi keeping those jackasses out of the city, there's no way Johnson can make any moves against us."

"I'll lead a scouting party tomorrow morning" Murphy stood forward to take charge "This will be a six man job. Ace, Axton, Mordecai, Salvador, and Zero will accompany me to the Freedom City construction site while the rest of you stay here and plan for the assault on the Nexus" Lilith shot a glare at Murphy, feeling that he was being overprotective of the Sirens.

"We're not just gonna sit here with our thumbs up our asses, Jason! You need our help whether you like it or not!" Lilith exclaimed, stomping her foot in emphasis. Maya placed her hand on Lilith shoulder and gave her a worried look.

"I know it's hurts not being there with them but we'd jeopardize their safety otherwise" Maya intervened, trying to sedate her anger and frustration "We were lucky back in Sawtooth and Lynchwood but the next time we get caught in a difficult situation, it might be our last." Montayva walked closer toward the two to give them her thoughts on the plan.

"This isn't up for discussion, Lilith. Believe it or not, our safety is of top priority" Montayva added politely "If we are captured, the others will be compromised and Johnson will be one step closer to finding the Vault. We can't take that risk, especially not when we're so close to ending this conflict" Lilith just looked toward the ground as her frustration slowly came to its boiling point. She hated the fact that she and the other Sirens were now targets. They were one of the most powerful beings in the universe but they couldn't lift a finger to help their friends.

"Damn it!" Lilith slammed her fist on the table. She was almost at the verge of tears, feeling completely worthless to the other Vault Hunters. Maya, Montayva, and Ari felt the same although they tried their best to hide it. Although their aid was needed, the price was too great for the Sirens to risk their lives.

"I'm sorry Lil, but it's the only way we can keep you girls safe" Mordecai said solemnly "We're just trying to do what's best for you" Lilith looked up toward Mordecai to speak to him.

"I know, it's just so hard knowing you guys will be in danger and we can't do a damn thing about it" tears started to well up in Lilith's eyes and Murphy instantly felt terrible. He hated the sight of her upset.

"I know how you feel, we all feel the same way" Ari said thoughtfully. Lilith did not find comfort in her words. She angrily walked out of the room and went straight into Murphy's room, slamming it shut as she entered it.

"Murphy, I think you should talk to her" A.N.N said quietly.

"I don't think Lilith wants anyone messing with her. You know what she's like when she's in one of her moods" Axton warned, almost laughing.

"No, A.N.N's right" Montayva agreed with the AI "She needs you right now, Murphy" Murphy placed his hand on the edge of the table and became lost in thought.

"I don't know what to tell her. She knows it's too dangerous for her to leave Sanctuary, there's nothing I can do to change that" Murphy said with a hint of frustration "I can't risk losing her" he muttered under his breath. Murphy felt if he allowed Lilith to follow him into battle, he would fail her just like he failed his younger sister all those years ago. Montayva could sense the whirlwind of emotions inside of the two. Both cared deeply for one another and they would do whatever it took to keep each other safe. This situation was driving a wedge between them and Montayva didn't want either to suffer because of the unfortunate circumstances they had found themselves in.

"You have to talk to Lilith, Murphy" Montayva continued to urge Murphy into talking with Lilith "The reason she's so upset is because of you. She knows Johnson wants your head and your armor for himself. She can't stand the thought of losing you to a monster like him and being completely unable to help you. It brings back horrible memories of what Jack did to Roland and the unbearable pain that comes with it" Murphy continued to contemplate what to do next.

"I'll talk to her" Murphy said. Montayva smiled, knowing Murphy would do his best to resolve the matter.

"I'll head down to the lobby and begin coordinating the assault on the Nexus with the others" Brick clambered on down the steps with the others following suit with the exception of A.N.N, Axton, Erick Mordecai, Murphy, Salvador, and Zero. They remained in the room to discuss their preparations for Freedom City.

"Tin Man, what should we do to prepare for the morning?" Salvador asked, trying to focus on the task at hand.

"We should gather the essentials and rest up before we head out tomorrow" Murphy instructed "It's gonna be a long day."

"We should probably head to Claptrap's and grab the little bot. He is the only one who can access Hyperion security without any problems" Mordecai informed as he placed his hand on Axton's shoulder "And when I say _we, _I mean _you._"

"Why do I have to fetch that perverted lunchbox on wheels?" Axton whined.

"Because he'll listen to you, Axton. You and the rust bucket are as he would say" Erick cleared his throat "_Like two peas in a pod. Like two bullets in a mag. Like two cannibal midgets in a fat guy's rib cage" _all laughed with the exception of Axton as Erick perfectly imitated Claptrap's annoying high pitched voice.

"Why can't Zero do it? He practically speaks robo…Ow!" Axton was cut off in mid-sentence as Zero karate chopped him over the top of his head.

"Stop being lazy/ You will need the exercise/ It is good for you" Zero explained as a smiley face emote projected over his faceplate.

"Fine, I'll get the damn bot. Why do I always get stuck with the shit jobs?" Axton huffed as he went down the stairs to pick up Claptrap.

"I gotta get Junior ready for tomorrow. My bird needs to be at his best if we have another run-in with Hyperion" Mordecai ran down the stairs to prepare Junior for the long day ahead of them.

"I'll pack the supplies we need for tomorrow, amigos" Salvador went into the armory to gather ammo, grenades, and explosives for the trip.

"I'll stay here with Zero and make some plans just in case we find ourselves in trouble. You should talk to Lilith while you still can" Erick said, pointing his thumb over his shoulder towards the door "I'll have a few surprises for Johnson if he sticks his nose in our business" Erick smirked.

"I have a few surprises of my own, Ace" Murphy fist bumped Erick before walking out of the room and marching toward his room

"Bummer, he's in the dog house now, dude" Erick turned his head toward Zero and both chuckled.

"Don't worry, he'll manage" A.N.N assured.


	43. Chapter 42-Letting Go

"Lilith, its Jas… shit!" Murphy walked into his room and almost immediately received a rather warm greeting from Lilith. By that, she threw a pillow at his head, landing a direct hit, catching him by surprise and almost knocking him over. Murphy calmly placed the pillow on the ground and slammed the door behind him "Real mature!" he yelled at Lilith, annoyed at her childish outburst. Lilith was sitting on the bed with a look of pure rage on her face. Her fiery temper was red hot. Most men would have just walked away but Murphy wasn't like most men, he would not back down and allow her to have her way. He was wearing civilian clothing at the time and not wearing his armor, although it might have been required to help him weather the storm of her fury.

"Damn you, Jason! What the hell was that back there?" Lilith snapped angrily at Murphy and he stepped back a little to give her some space "I can't believe you would go through with this suicide mission without me! You'll get killed!" She trudged toward Murphy and looked in his eyes with a menacing glare.

"You know why we can't bring you. It's too dangerous for you to be out there with us" Murphy retaliated "You don't think I want you by my side? Of course I do but I can't risk losing you! Not after Lynchwood and especially not after Johnson's twisted threat about defiling you!"

"I can handle myself!" She pushed him back as her rage grew "I've taken on the likes of the Destroyer, Knoxx, Jack, and others just as tough. I can deal with some dumbass with a bunch fancy toys easily!"

"No you can't!" Murphy shot back "He's not like those other guys you faced in the past. He's smarter, patient, and even more dangerous. Plus those other guys didn't have a device which could weaken you!"

"And you're so special, what with your goddamned armor! Have you forgotten what happened to you back in the Cauldron and Lynchwood? You almost died in front of me. Did you even take into consideration how I would feel about this decision?"

"I know how you feel, Lilith. If the roles were reversed, I would feel the same way too. But they need me down there! I'm the only one who can stop Johnson and you know it!"

"You sure did a number on him in the Roost and Lynchwood" she said cruelly and sarcastically "Every time you and he went head to head, he almost won. He almost killed you. The only reason you're still alive is because of dumb luck and a few breaks!"

"I have the others watching my back, remember? They won't allow him to murder me!"

"Of course, 'the others'" Lilith lifted her arms in the air and made invisible air quotes "They didn't do us any good when the Thresher almost made us his lunch!"

"Damn it Lilith! Please listen to me. This time will be different. With the suit's Riot Mode, I can handle…" Murphy was about to place his hand on her cheek but she swatted it away before he made contact.

"Now that you have your damned upgrade, you think you're some hot shot who can deal with all our problems by himself!"

"That's not what I meant! We have everything in our favor! Johnson's back is against the wall, his men are losing morale, and the Slabs are pushing them back! We can finally win this!"

"At the expense of your own life? Do you even care about me? About us?" Lilith's eyes started watering up "Let someone else take the burden. Please don't go, stay here with me" she begged.

"They need my help. You know that. Why can't you understand that? Why can't you accept the fact your presence could pose a threat to everyone's safety? Montayva and the others Sire…" Lilith flew into a rage when Murphy insisted she stay and he would continue with his plans.

"Damn you! Damn you! Damn you!" Lilith screamed as she angrily pounded her fist on his chest. Murphy would not retaliate and withstood her assault. She finally stopped as she placed her hands gently on his chest and broke down crying. She laid her head on his shoulder and wept. Murphy slowly wrapped his arms around her and held her tight in his embrace "I can't believe this is happening again" she sobbed as she buried her face into his chest.

"Tell me what happened. Tell me why you're so afraid of letting me go with them" Murphy asked softly. He placed his hand on her chin and gently lifted her head to peer into her eyes. Tears ran down her cheek as she looked at him. She wiped them away with her forearm and prepared herself to tell the story.

"Years ago, we were trying to steal the Vault Key from Jack and use it to summon the Warrior. We were planning on using the creature to wipe Hyperion off the map" she explained "However, the only way to get the key was to go through the Bunker and kill Angel. Angel was another Siren and Jack's daughter, imprisoned by her father to follow his every whim. She was hooked up to these machines and Eridium pipelines in order to increase her powers and charge the Vault Key. With her gone, Jack would lose his catalyst, his only way to charge the key. Roland led the team responsible for finding the key and killing Angel" she paused for a minute to let the information sink in.

"What kind of sick bastard would abuse his daughter for personal gain?" Murphy asked with a disgusted look on his face.

"The kind of monster who deserved to die" she answered "Before Roland left with the others, we had the same argument you and I are having. Angel warned me to stay away from her chambers at all cost or something terrible would happen. I told her to piss off and I was going regardless of the risk. Roland intervened and convinced me to stay, as much as it pissed me off. Of course being the hot head I am, I didn't listen. I phased in the control core and leant a hand to Roland and the second group of Vault Hunters. After we killed Angel and secured the key, Jack appeared. That's when…that's when…" she stammered as a lump formed in her throat and choked her words.

"That's when Jack killed Roland" Murphy finished for her.

"Yes. Even with the others, we couldn't save him in time" she admitted quietly "And now I'm afraid the same will happen to you, Jason. I'm afraid you'll walk out that door and I'll never see you again. If that happens, I'm afraid there's nothing I can do to save you. All I can do is sit here and watch while you're risking everything by going" the tears started running down her face and she clenched her fingers around his shirt. Murphy wiped her tears away and lifted her head gently.

"No more tears. Everything's going to be alright" he promised as he gently kissed her on the lips. She savored the moment as if it were their last on Pandora. He withdrew and looked into her eyes again "I'll come back to you. I promise, and you know when I make promise…" Murphy started and smiled.

"You always keep it" a faint smile lit up her dreary exterior "Be careful out there, Jason. You're everything to me."

"I will. I love you Lilith" Murphy gave her one last kiss and began walking out the door.

"And I love you" she said. He paused for a minute before leaving to look at her one last time. He took in her radiant beauty one last time and left. When he exited the room, Lilith sat back on the bed and pulled out an Echo device from under it. It was the one Roland gave her before he met his end. She had moved it from her room to Murphy's after he went downstairs to speak with Erick earlier in the day. Even with Murphy in her life, she still couldn't let go of Roland's memory. The device also fed her fear of losing Murphy even further. She stared at it for a couple of seconds, imagining a similar scenario like Roland's with Murphy if he should be killed. She slowly moved her thumb over the play button, ready to play the message and hear her lost love's voice one last time. She retracted her thumb from the button and moved it over the delete button. Her hand started shaking for a couple a seconds but she stopped eventually and pressed the button, erasing the message once and for all. It was time to free herself from the burden she thought, it was time to let go. She wouldn't allow the fear to rule over her life any further. Lilith firmly believed she would see Murphy again no matter what. She threw the device in the trash can on the far right corner of the room and decided to get dressed for bed.

Murphy walked back to the control room to speak with A.N.N, Erick, and Zero.

"How's Lilith doing, Murphy" A.N.N asked, concerned for the Siren's emotional state. She knew how Lilith felt, A.N.N was trapped on Sanctuary because of her dangerous secret deep within her programing. The only difference was that A.N.N can still lend a helping hand from her position while Lilith could not.

"She's still having a rough time coming to terms with the decision but she's doing better" Murphy assured "Are we ready for tomorrow?"

"Yep, Sal's got the ammo, Zero and I have the plans set, Mordy's bird is ready to kill, and I think Ax's finally picked up Claptrap. I heard screaming through his Echo when he was dragging Clappy over to the HQ but nothing serious" Erick chuckled "We should meet him downstairs before he tries to kill the poor bot."

"That would solve a myriad of issues" Zero joked. He too found the machine annoying beyond all forms of reasoning. Zero secretly wished he could kill it to silence it once and for all. The only reason Claptrap was even kept alive was because he was able to access Hyperion machinery and secret facilities thanks to his upgraded programing.

"Let's head down there. Knowing Claptrap, he's probably driving Axton crazy" Murphy said.

"Or Ax is driving his boot through Claptrap's eye socket. Either way, the outcome would be detrimental to our mission tomorrow" Erick added. Murphy and Erick marched down the stairs while Zero stayed behind, the Assassin didn't want to deal with the headache that came with Claptrap's arrival. The two made it to the lobby. Brick was standing near the steps, organizing the Slabs through his Echo communicator for a possible pick-up near Freedom City if Murphy's team finds the armory. The girls were sitting on the couch, discussing what their plans of attack should be for the Nexus. Axton was dragging Claptrap by his tire while the robot tried to free himself from his hold on him. Claptrap was dragging his hand on the floor, scratching it with his little clampers. An annoying screeching sound emanated from his constant scratching, getting on the nerves of the already stressed out Vault Hunters.

"Axton! Quit yanking Claptrap against the floor! The noise is pissing us off" Gaige yelled as she covered her ears with her hands to block out the noise.

"It's not my fault! This pansy of a robot won't grow a pair and help us out of its own free will" Axton shot venomously toward the cowardly robot "Stop scratching the floor boards!" Axton kicked Claptrap in the side, trying to make him stop but only inciting his fear further.

"Please don't take me! Please don't take me! Please don't take me!" Claptrap begged, repeating the same sentence over and over again.

"Trust me, if we could leave your metallic hide here we would. But we need you to access the armory's security so we can grab the Loaders and destroy the Nexus" Maya informed the little robot on the situation at hand.

"That's not how this works, Minions! I'm supposed to be the one handing out the orders, not the other way around" yelled the delusional robot, believing itself to be superior over the Vault Hunters.

"Why do we even keep it around?" Gaige asked rudely. Brick finished talking with his Slabs on the Echo and walked toward the women on the couch.

"Couple of years back, this chicken shit led a Robolution. It controlled an army of Claptrap units and began enslaving humans, turning them into it's mechanized slaves. Lilith, Mordecai, Roland, and I stopped it. Ah, good times" Brick began reminiscing all the adventures he had been part of, he killed a lot of people he thought "We have it around because we want to keep an eye on it, just in case it goes ape shit again. Normally I'd beat it to death but we needed him to access Hyperion bases before you arrived, slab."

"I think you made that entire story up as an excuse to keep him here" Gaige glared angrily at the twitchy robot, still not convinced how something so annoying and stupid could ever be dangerous, let alone useful.

"Brick's telling the truth" Montayva said, reading the big man's mood "You shouldn't treat the little guy so harshly. It is risking its own life to help us."

"And it has given us a lot of free tasty meals in the past" Ari added, trying to garner Claptrap some favor with the other Vault Hunters.

"You two are way too soft hearted" Maya said bluntly "How anyone could show sympathy to a perverted little freak like it is beyond me."

"You must really hate this thing" Murphy noticed that Maya seemed to have a particular beef with Claptrap.

"Look, I said a thousand times I was sorry. Just don't crush me again!" Claptrap began bowing down toward Maya as he begged for mercy.

"What did he do to get your panties in a bunch?" Axton asked curiously.

"That's exactly what he did. This little lecher raided my panty draw and wore a pair over his head like a bandana. Then there was the time he tried to sneak into the bathroom and tried peeping at me while I was showering. On 7 occasions" Maya explained.

"I'm so sorry but they were so frilly, and soft, and really good at absorbing robot tears. And about the whole shower incident, it's hard for me to resist gazongas. Especially yours considering how hot you are and how big they are" Claptrap admitted. Everyone broke out in laughter except Maya who Phase-Locked Claptrap. She slowly began closing her palm, nearly forming a fist. Claptrap could feel the spherical prison crushing his metal form as she started clenching her fist "Okay, I'll help! Just let me go!" he begged as the pitch of its voice grew higher as the pressure started building around him.

"Good boy" Maya smirked slyly and released the robot from her grasp.

"So which panties did he wear? The blue ones or the pink ones?" Axton inquired teasingly. Maya had a slight blush on her face and an enraged look in her eyes.

"Both" Claptrap answered meekly.

"You bastard!" she yelled, directing her insult at Axton. Axton just laughed at her embarrassment.

"It was just a simple question" Axton shrugged. Murphy and Erick gave Axton a curious look.

"How do you know what color her…." Before Erick could finish, Axton gave him his usual cocky grin.

"Son, don't think to hard" Axton patted Erick on the back "Time for me to lock this creeper in the interrogation room. Can't risk him sneaking out in the middle of the night and hitting the trail. That and the possibility he might try to peep into the girl's bunk or remove Zero's mask. I'd hate to be the one to clean up that oily mess" Axton grabbed the robot by his antenna and pulled him up the stairs. Claptrap screamed in pain but no one paid mind to his suffering although Montayva and Ari felt bad for the little guy. Murphy looked toward Maya.

"Do you and him, you know, have a thing for one another?" Murphy didn't mean to pry but the thought of Axton and Maya doing the deed bugged him. Those two were polar opposites of each other, how could two clashing personalities form a relationship he thought.

"We had a small fling a few years ago. Biggest mistake I ever made" Maya shrugged.

"Today's just been flat out weird" Erick laughed, commenting on how odd today has been "I need to catch some Z's to sleep off this weird day. You don't need me for anything, right?" Erick was directing the question at the girls.

"We'll deal with the planning. You two need you're rest for tomorrow" said Montayva. The two said their goodnights to everyone and headed back to bed. Murphy made it to his room and gently eased the door open.

"Lilith, are you still there?" Murphy said softly. Lilith was already asleep on her side of the bed. The light on top of the night stand on her side was still on. Murphy removed his boots, belt, and jeans to slip into his shorts. He walked over to her side and turned the light off. He crept carefully toward Lilith's sleeping form. Murphy lifted the blanket and crawled in beside her. Lilith felt his weight beside hers and rolled over to face him. She laid her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his waist, snuggling beside him. She threw her leg over him. Her arms and leg tightened around him and drew him in close. Murphy didn't fight it and just went with it. He wrapped his right arm around her shoulders. He leaned over slowly and kissed her on her brow. Murphy placed his head on the pillow and drifted to sleep.


	44. Chapter 43-Opportunity Knocks: Part 1

After some much needed rest, Murphy and his team said goodbye to the other Vault Hunters and entered the old construction site in Freedom City. Moxxi had ordered her construction team away from the site until the Vault Hunters found what they were looking for. Before Jack's death, it was meant to be the site of the Opportunity Pleasure Palace where people would pay 1000$ an hour with a life-sized statue of Jack himself. Now it would be the site of the Freedom City Lover's Keep. Once complete, it would be 5 star hotel where you would pay 1000$ a day to enjoy the hotel's "curricular activities", the kind of activities which relate to a certain sexual variety, either with some of Pandora's most attractive women or Moxxi herself. The six Vault Hunters were divided into three teams to cover more ground. Axton, charged with keeping an eye on Claptrap, and Salvador checked the outskirts of the site. The little bot was tied to a baby leash to keep it from running away like the coward it was. Axton begged his friends that he should not to be the one holding the leash and in charge of keeping the bot inline but everyone unanimously voted he would be responsible for Claptrap much to his dismay. Mordecai and Zero took the high ground by climbing up the buildings still in construction, scanning the area through their sniper scopes. Murphy and Erick stayed near the center of the site.

It was raining in Freedom City, breaking a long drought that had plagued the area for quite some time. A violent lightning storm filled the sky, for most it would be considered a bad omen but for the Vault Hunters it was a sign of good fortune. The charge from the storm fueled Erick's powers, allowing him to reach his full strength. Due to the horrid conditions, the crew was forced to wear more appropriate attire for the afternoon. Axton wore a military issued rain coat, Mordecai wore a brown long coat, and Erick wore a black hooded long coat with a lightning bolt on the sleeve. Murphy's armor was built for the rather torrid weather conditions as was Zero's sneaking suit. Claptrap was a robot so the weather would not be an issue for him. Only Salvador was not dressed for such an occasion. Salvador was stubborn and he believed he would be fine without the right clothing for the weather conditions when he really did need them.

"Man, I love this kind of weather" Erick shouted over the sounds of thunder as he looked up at the sky. He took in a deep breath and breathed out a thick cloud of ozone with electricity discharging from it "I haven't felt this powerful in a while."

"Glad to see you're enjoying it because it's making me nervous. To me, this storm is a bad omen" Murphy said as rain drops fell on his armor, making a thumping noise you would hear when it dropped on top of an oil drum.

"This is good fortune Murph, not a bad omen. With the charge in the air, my powers are at their fullest" Erick explained confidently "Johnson won't know what hit'em."

"If he does show" Murphy added. He wanted Hyperion to involve themselves in their business so he could get another crack at the Hyperion Commander and finish him personally.

"You think the others have found the entrance yet?" Erick asked as water dripped from the edge of his hoodie.

"Let's ask them" Murphy placed his finger on the right side of his helmet to speak to the others through the Echo "Guys, any progress?"

"No amigo, ACHOO!" Salvador said with nasally tone in his voice.

"Are you alright, Sal? You sound terrible" Erick asked, concerned for the Gunzerker's health.

"Yo estoy enfermo, que piensas idiota!" Salvador coughed violently into his Echo.

"I warned you the weather was going to be shitty all afternoon but noooooo, the badass Spanish midget can handle anything. A little rain and cold winds won't harm me because I am invincible" Axton exclaimed sarcastically over the Echo, mimicking Salvador's accent.

"Cállate carbón! ACHOO!" Salvador sneezed again, spraying mucus all over his echo.

"Dude, English" Erick did not understand what Salvador was saying.

"He's saying that he's sick, probably from the bad weather conditions" Mordecai clarified "Dumbass should have brought a coat but he never listens to anyone."

"Thanks for the translation Mordecai" Murphy said "Did you find the entrance through your scope?"

"Nada, zilch, zero" Mordecai answered.

"Yes Mordecai?" Zero thought Mordecai was trying to tell him something but he misunderstood what he was really trying to say.

"What? Oh! Sorry, I was just saying we didn't find anything yet" Mordecai said apologetically.

"Be clearer next time/ I hate looking like a fool/ Especially now" Zero scolded Mordecai for not being clear enough.

"Anyway can we speed this search up?" Axton asked impatiently through the Echo.

"I'd send Junior out to scout the area out but this thunderstorm is too dangerous for him to fly through. We'll just have to do it the old fashioned way" Mordecai sulked.

"Fan-fucking-tastic! More time stuck with this tin can" Axton shouted "Hey! Where do you think you're going, pervy?" Axton yanked the baby leash and pulled Claptrap to his location.

"Let me go! I don't wanna die!" Claptrap begged as it tried escaping to no avail.

"Why do I have to watch this annoying dipshit?" Axton complained.

"You wanted us to vote, you got us to vote" Erick snapped, annoyed by Axton's childish complaints "We thought it would be best for you to guard him. You're more experienced with escort missions than we are" Erick brought up Axton's military experience as an excuse to have Axton in charge of the bot.

"Why couldn't Zero or Mordecai watch him?" Axton continued kicking Claptrap as it tried sneaking away.

"No" Zero said in his typical manner.

"I would but Junior might try to rip out Claptrap's circuits" Mordecai chuckled.

"I'd say let Junior/ But he'd get indigestion/ It is not worth it" Zero joked although he prayed for the day Claptrap gets destroyed by something or someone.

"We need Claptrap alive to access the armory. After it's done shutting down the security, then you can do away with him as you wish" Murphy responded to the complaints.

"I'll give him to Maya. She'll know what to do with him" Axton shrugged.

"Oh god, no!" Claptrap screamed, imagining the numerous scenarios of torture he would be placed in by Maya after the mission is done. After two hours, the group continued to search for the armory, still not making any progress on finding it's location.

"It's been hours Murph" Erick whined, sitting on a barrel "We've been going at it nonstop and we still have no clue where the entrance is."

"Why does this place have to be so damn big? I say we leave it be for another time" Axton joined in through the Echo.

"The weather's getting worse by the minute. I think we should call it a night and head home" Mordecai said with a sullen tone.

"I agree with Mordy/ We will have time tomorrow/ To look for the stash" Zero agreed.

"Bien idea. ACHOO!" Salvador sneezed through his Echo. Murphy rubbed the front of his visor to wipe away the rain drops and leaned his back against the wall of a building still in construction, crossing his arms as he did.

"Okay, you win. We'll try it again tomorrow" Murphy groaned. It would take weeks to find the weapons he thought. On Pandora, a day was 90 hours meaning a week on this planet was like a half a month on planets like Earth and Eden-5. As Murphy leaned his weight against the wall, his elbow pressed a hidden switch on the side. The ground below Erick slowly started splitting apart, revealing an old Hyperion blast door and several steps leading to it. Erick quickly jumped back, avoiding the pit opening under his feet. Murphy jumped out of his position and averted all attention to the opening.

"Fellas, we found it!" Erick shouted, ecstatic after finding the door "Its north of the hotel, get here as soon as you can."

"We'll be there in no time" Mordecai answered through his Echo.

"Sólo mi suerte" Salvador sniffed, his cold growing worse by the hour.

"We'll be at your position in a few" Axton pulled Claptrap next to his feet and began marching toward Erick and Murphy's location. After a few minutes, the team regrouped around the entrance. After Murphy made a head count, they walked down the steps and stood in front of the door leading to the armory.

"Now we know where it is. Let's phase in and get this job over with" Erick cracked his knuckles and prepared to teleport everyone inside. Axton placed his hand on his shoulder and stopped him from doing so.

"Hold on kid. We might trip some security alarms and call in the enemy cavalry. God knows what'll be waiting for us inside and I hate going into firefights blind. Claptrap, open the door" Axton ordered. Claptrap started studying the panel on the side. After a quick look, it punched in a couple of numbers and the door slowly opened.

"Access granted. Please enjoy your stay in Opportunity" said an automated female voice.

"Annnnnd open!" Claptrap raised it arms in the air, trying to show off its superiority "Since you don't need me anymore, I'll head back to Sanctuary. My diner needs me."

"Oh no you don't!" Axton pressed his foot on the leash, stopping the robot in its tracks "We might need you to deal with any possible security measures inside. Let's go shorty" Axton took point and dragged the robot with him. Claptrap screamed as it tried crawling alway but ultimately failed.

"Let's go amigo" Salvador said, sickly lumbering into the armory. Zero pulled him by his shirt and dragged him back "What's the hold up?" Salvador asked as Zero handed him a bottle of meds for his cold.

"Take these, you will feel better" Zero explained. Salvador nodded his head in appreciation and took the meds. The two walked ahead with Murphy, Mordecai and Erick following. The corridor was dark, the lights on the side of the tunnel were dim lit. Mordecai pulled a flashlight from his belt and flicked the light switch. The flashlight lit up the darkness and brightened their path ahead. Junior, who was perched on Mordecai's shoulder, shook his head and wings to dry himself, splashing Erick's face with rain water.

"Seriously" Erick wiped the water off his face and glared at the bird "I'm wet as it is. I don't want to end up like Sal here" Junior had a saddened look in his eyes and he nodded his head apologetically.

"See, he's sorry. Don't be harsh on the bird" Murphy patted Erick on the back as he passed him to stand next to Mordecai. He turned toward the Hunter to ask him a question "Think this armory is worth it?" Murphy asked, noticing the tired expression on Mordecai's face.

"It'd better be. Hate to go through all this trouble and find nothing but worthless junk" Mordecai placed his fingers on his goggles and wiped away the condensation which formed from the rain water "You should call the others and let them know we found something. They're probably worried sick. No pun intended" Mordecai chuckled at Salvador after the Gunzerker gave him an enraged look, feeling offended by Mordecai's remark due to his cold.

"Good idea" Murphy agreed and called his AI on the communicator "A.N. N, can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear" A.N.N responded through the Echo.

"And she isn't the only one who can hear ya" Lilith's voice came through the Echo as well. Both were in the control room, waiting for any news.

"Hey Mordy, I need you to help me with Claptrap over here. Give the love birds some privacy" Axton laughed, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively at Murphy.

"I'd better get to it" Mordecai playfully patted Murphy on the shoulder and walked next to Axton. Murphy shook his head and laughed.

"Hey Lilith, how are things?" Murphy asked.

"Things are good. I was just talking with A.N.N for a bit. How's the search going?" Lilith asked in return.

"Well we found the entrance and we're heading to the armory right now" Murphy informed.

"That's good to hear" A.N.N said through the Echo "Who's screaming?" she asked when she heard Claptrap's squealing for mercy.

"Claptrap, it's been bugging us the entire day. It's getting on my last nerve" Murphy grumbled "You were pretty upset when I left this morning, Lilith. Are you okay?"

"I'm keeping it together. Jason, about last night, I'm so sorry" Lilith apologized, taking a deep breath.

"You don't have to apologize for anything. I should be the one who's sorry" Murphy said softly.

"For what?" she questioned.

"For upsetting you. I should have taken your thoughts into consideration before I made that hasty call to lead the others on this mission. I should have discussed things with you beforehand" Murphy admitted.

"It was your call to make, not mine" Lilith said "I shouldn't have freaked out on you the way I did. I was just worried for your is all."

"Don't worry, Murphy is working with some of the best. He'll come back to us" A.N.N promised her.

"I believe you" Lilith smiled at the AI, her confidence in his return grew because of her assurance "Come back alive and we'll celebrate afterwards. Just you and me."

"That's reason enough for me to fight on and return to you. I'll be home before you know it, Jason out" Murphy said goodbye to the two and he refocused on the task at hand. The Vault Hunters finally reached the end of the tunnel and what they saw was awe inspiring. The room a wide opened area filled with an army of Loaders, Constructors, and Surveyor units lined up in large rows. Some were hanging on the side walls, folded up in small cubes. Chests littered the floors on the ends of the room and guns filled the gun racks and the lockers on the far ends.

"Now ain't that a sight for sore eyes, we hit the mother load" Mordecai ran toward the gun rack to see what sniper rifles were available.

"Dios mio, look at all these new toys!" Salvador had a grin that reached ear to ear. The sight of so many weapons and machines filled him with excitement. The excitement was contagious, Axton let out a huge cheer and walked around to see their newfound army. He dragged Claptrap along with him to observe the machines.

"I can see it now/ A sonata of mayhem/ Conducted by us" Zero projected an evil smiley emote on his faceplate and he took in the sights.

"Damn, glad I stole that data. What do you think Ace, Johnson's screwed am I right?" Murphy asked with an optimistic tone. Erick paid no mind to the weapons in the room or Murphy's question and focused his eyes toward the center. Murphy noticed Erick as he glanced over to where Erick was standing, the Brother was glassy eyed and seemingly mesmerized "Ace, what's up?" Erick snapped out of his trance and answered.

"Murph, call everyone back now. You gotta check this out."


	45. Chapter 44-Opportunity Knocks: Part 2

"What is that?" Murphy stared at the center of the room and saw a 20 foot juggernaut in what appeared to be incased in a cryogenic modulator. The others circled around the monster and eyed it as well. The monster was clad from head to toe in silver armor, covering all his features. He wore a helmet with a narrow slit visor for vision. He had what appeared to be a backpack with tubes emanating from it, surgically attached to his spine. The tubes connected to his forearm, his shoulders, his head, and a pair of knobs on each of his wrists. Claptrap approached the panel linked to the stasis module and pulled up research notes on the computer screen.

"Claptrap, did you find any information on our big friend?" asked Erick.

"Looks like a test subject for Jack's super soldier project years ago" Claptrap explained "It was called Project Gilgamesh."

"Named after the ultimate warrior" Erick stood in front of the screen and a look of intrigue was spread across his face "There's no data on who he is but Jack handpicked this guy to be part of the experiment. From the notes and the schematics on the screen, the project was meant to create a super soldier fueled by Eridium, giving him super strength and god knows what else."

"Kinda reminds me of the slag experiments back in the Wild Life Exploitation Preserve. Poor bastards were turned into monsters" Mordecai replied as bad memories of Bloodwing, his first bird and Junior's mother, clouded his thoughts at the very mention of the Preserve, the place where Jack turned her into a giant monster and killed her. Junior also had a saddened look in his eyes, he never had the chance to meet his mother, something that bothered the small bird greatly.

"Don't remind me" Axton said sympathetically. The Commando felt bad for Mordecai. He and the second group of Vault Hunters tried their best to save Bloodwing from Jack but ultimately failed "I wish we could have done more, Mordecai. Bloodwing never deserved what Jack did to her."

"I appreciate the thought but there was nothing any of us could've done" Mordecai replied.

"What happened at the Preserve? Who's Bloodwing?" Murphy asked. He had no prior knowledge of what happened to Bloodwing or who she was. The Vault Hunters tried to erase that moment from their memories, feeling it was one of their greatest failures in the first occupational war for Pandora.

"My first bird and Junior's mom" Mordecai explained "Couple of years back, Jack nabbed her in Tundra Express and turned her into one of his slag monsters. We tried saving her but…bastard killed her before we had the chance."

"You have my condolences" Murphy knew what it was like to fail someone he cared for. He lost his sister when he tried stopping a junkie from stealing from the orphanage.

"Thanks man" Mordecai smiled "But we can't dwell on the past forever or we'll end up shadows of our former selves. All we can do now is focus on the future and never look back" he added optimistically as he scratched Junior's feathered neck softly with his finger. Murphy and Mordecai knew what it was like to be trapped in guilt, the Hunter became an angry drunk who wanted to do nothing but drown his sorrows in Rakk-ale and kill Hyperion troops while the Enforcer became more and more like a machine by the day and less of a man. Both men have changed for the better because of the friends they surrounded themselves with and the women in their lives, Montayva in Mordecai's case and Lilith in Murphy's.

"This beast among us/ Why would Jack just leave it here/ Why not use his strength?" Zero asked, tilting his head toward the module.

"Uh, right, I almost forgot" Erick regained his composure and read the files again "The experiment was a success but it was also a failure. The creature became the unstoppable killing machine Jack had hoped for but it couldn't tell friend from foe. It killed everyone involved in the project, scientist, guards, and Loaders. Jack couldn't allow this thing to run amok but he couldn't destroy a potential resource. He ordered the troops to cryo-freeze Gilgamesh and move the creature under the city for future research. He then refocused his attention on Project Wilhelm."

"Wilhelm, the cyborg we killed in the Tundra?" Axton remembered Wilhelm, he and the others killed the mass murderer and avenged those who were killed in New Haven by his hands "That tin fuck got what he deserved. I never liked cyborgs, all murderous psychopaths who think themselves superior to the human race. Stupid, pompous sons of bitches" Murphy glared at Axton for his disingenuous assertions. Axton realized the insensitivity in his statement and turned toward Murphy "No offense, Murphy."

"I know you didn't mean anything by it but next time think before you speak" Murphy scolded.

"Get used to it Tin Man, Axton's always been un pendejo grandisimo" Salvador explained, remembering the multiple times Axton made fun of his height and his shrunken pride due to Salvador's heavy steroid use as a child, a teenager, and all the time "Maybe this Gilgamesh is the reason Johnson wants to find this place."

"Makes sense to me, Minions" Claptrap threw its thoughts into the conversation "If that Hyperion nut job got his hands on this big guy. He could make an army of these and rule the galaxy, no problem. Kinda like how I almost took over Pandora with an army of Claptraps and cyborg slaves. The Claptrap will rise again! Viva la Robolution!" everyone looked at Claptrap and pointed their guns at the bot "I'm just kidding! Take a joke ***holes!" Claptrap squealed nervously, a beeping sound censored the curse in its sentence. The Vault Hunters lowered their guns but remained suspicious of the bot.

"Yeah whatever" Axton muttered, still staring at Claptrap "What should we do with this guy? Should we free him or kill him?"

"Much as I would like another heavy hitter on the team, this guy may be too dangerous to let loose. I say we grab what we need and blow this place to hell" Mordecai suggested and the others unanimously agreed. Murphy was going to call Brick for pick up but before he could, about 85 Hyperion assassins uncloaked and surrounded the Vault Hunters, pointing every ounce of firepower toward them.

"Damn it! They followed us here!" Murphy shouted.

"Righto, Murphy" echoed a familiar sinister voice from the tunnel they entered through. When the Vault Hunters averted their gaze toward the path, they saw none other than Johnson, clapping his hands and smiling his sinister grin "Bravo. Champagne. High five. Congrats. Slow clap. You found the damn armory and you found Gilgamesh. If you were my soldiers I would reward you with bitches from Eden-6 and a large share of the galaxy once we find the Vault and turn this planet into ashes but you're not my men" He slowly approached the Vault Hunters and stood in front of Murphy, glaring at the Enforcer.

"Please don't shoot! Please don't shoot! Please don't shoot!" Claptrap rambled on nervously as the soldiers pointed their guns at it. Salvador hushed it by kicking its side.

"We meet again, fool/ Do you wish to do battle/ And die by my hand" Zero tried enticing Johnson into dueling him once more.

"It sounds so tempting but I have a more pressing engagement which requires my full attention" Johnson answered "It's been a while since you and I met face to face, Murphy. You know why I'm here, now give me the AI or I'll kill your friends and torture your whore when I get my hands on her. You know what, screw it! I'm gonna grab her hot ass anyways when I'm done here. She and I are going to have some fun once she opens the Vault for me" Johnson threatened menacingly. Johnson provoked Murphy, causing the Enforcer to grab him by the neck and lift him in the air.

"I'll tear you to shreds!" Murphy shouted as he gripped his metal fingers firmly around Johnson's neck. The Commander spat in Murphy's face and jabbed his knife into his shoulder, causing Murphy to lose his grip on Johnson. Johnson pulled his knife out of his shoulder and kicked Murphy to the ground, causing the Enforcer to fall on his backside.

"Murph!" Erick was ready to charge in and help but Axton stopped him by pulling him back and putting him in a full nelson "Let me go Ax, he needs us!"

"I know he needs our help but calm down, kid! It'll do him no good if we're dead" Axton urged as he nodded his head toward the guards surrounding him. Erick settled down begrudgingly and Axton released his hold on him. Murphy began bleeding profusely from his wound and had a look of shock in his eyes. How could a knife pierce through my armor so easily he thought.

"You must be wondering how this itty bitty bowie knife can do so much damage to the most powerful piece of Eridian technology known to man" Johnson bragged "Allow me to explain. This knife was forged out of the strongest Eridian metals on Eden-6. This bad boy can cut through almost anything with ease, kinda like the ninja's sword" Johnson took a quick glance at Zero's sword and returned his gaze toward Murphy "I have no idea what his sword is made of but I'll give him credit, that thing is solid. Now back to the business at hand, give me the AI."

"What's happened Johnson? I thought you wanted the suit too, not just A.N.N" Murphy asked, flinching in pain.

"My boys back in the Nexus are whipping up something special for yours truly" Johnson had an evil grin across his face "It will make your armor obsolete once they're finished with it. Not to mention I have IT and now Gilgamesh. With his DNA and my research, I can have an army of unstoppable monsters equipped with the most advanced weaponry the galaxy has ever seen. I would keep monologuing on and on regarding how I'm gonna blow Sanctuary out of the sky and make this galaxy mine but I'm strapped for time so I'll speed things along" Johnson turned Murphy's head and saw the empty slot inside. The AI was gone and Murphy chuckled "Where is she? Where have you hidden her? Tell me now!" Johnson dug his fingers deep into Murphy's wound and placed his knife right under his chin. Murphy would not give Johnson the information he desperately craved for and remained strong.

"Up yours" Murphy laughed, Erick joined in as well.

"What's so funny kid?" Johnson yelled angrily at Erick. He removed his knife from Murphy's neck and pulled his finger out of the wound, wiping the blood on his armor. Johnson turned around to confront the oddly tranquil Brother.

"You have no idea what you're really up against Johnson. Do you even know what I am or what the suit is really capable of?" Erick chuckled at Johnson's ignorance.

"I know enough about the suit and I know you're just some snot nosed brat" Johnson insulted "What makes you so special anyway? All the Vault Hunters have something unique to contribute to their antiquated cause except for you. Hell, the school girl has her shitty science fair project and she's still more useful than you. What can you do nerd?"

"Johnson, have you heard of the Brother Guardian?" Erick inquired.

"Sounds like a leader of a backwards thinking cult. If all you're good for is false prophecy and spitting mythical gibberish then you're useless to me, kid" Johnson joked.

"I thought so" Erick grinned.

"Sir, I'm detecting a large electrical disturbance. The source is originating from the boy" said one the assassins as he scanned the area with a device in his hand.

"What?" Johnson looked at the boy and was greatly unsettled when electricity emanated from Erick.

"Ready Murph?" Erick formed devil wings from the electricity on his back.

"Ready Ace" Murphy answered as he entered Riot Mode. His injuries slowly healed and his armor repaired itself. Murphy digistructed his upgraded Riot Shield, enveloping his friends, Johnson, and himself in a red energy dome.

"What the fuck is going… AAAAARRRRGGGHHHHH!" Johnson screamed in agony as Murphy super-heated his metal hand and grabbed Johnson by the left side of his face. His left side lit on fire as Murphy burrowed his fingers deep into Johnson's temple. The Commander felt himself slipping away into unconsciousness as his anguish became insufferable. Out of instinct and the will to survive, he stabbed Murphy in the forearm, causing him to loosen his grip on his face, giving Johnson the chance he needed to free himself. His troops tried their best to enter the dome and save their leader but it blocked all forms of weapon fire, physical assault, and incinerated anyone who touched the energy shield, turning them into ashes. As the left side of his face continued burning, Johnson doused the flame with his hand and pulled a device from his belt. He punched some buttons on the panel and disappeared in a digital flash.

"Murph, are you okay?" Erick asked as he fried enemies with Mjolnir. The bullets from the Vault Hunters' guns could exit the dome but the enemy bullets could not enter, similar to Montayva's shield.

"I'm fine Ace" Murphy assured as his armor and wound regenerated. Murphy stood back up, pulled out his Shock Development shotgun, and tore apart the enemies with pellets. Axton, Mordecai, Salvador, and Zero joined the clash and opened fire from the safety of the dome. Salvador pulled out two shotguns and blew enemies into red paste as intestines began spilling out and brains splattered all over the walls. Axton threw out two turrets, both firing instantaneously as they digistructed from the storage decks. Mordecai and Zero landed precision headshots at the soldiers, putting bullets through their craniums and causing their skulls to detonate. Zero fired a Logan's Gun while Mordecai fired his old Unforgiven pistol. Junior entered a blood fueled frenzy and flew safely out of the dome, ripping through Hyperion troops with his barb-tipped wings and his sharp talons. Claptrap cowered in fear behind Axton in its typical fashion.

"Ace, back to back!" Murphy ordered. The Brother complied and pressed its back against Murphy's.

"What's the play, Murph?" Erick asked as he fried another soldier with an electric blast from his hand.

"Remember what Tannis said about combining our powers. I say we give it a test" Murphy shouted over the roar of gunfire and explosions.

"I like the sound of this plan" Erick agreed. Murphy's markings slowly turned purple and Erick's lightning changed from its usual blue hue to becoming red as a river of blood. Both fired electrical blasts into the dome surrounding them. Electricity from Erick's powers and Murphy's Tesla Gauntlet encompassed the dome and expanded, creating a fiery and electrical explosion which fried the nearby enemies. One of the dying foes fired a stray bullet into Gilgamesh's cryo tank and coolant slowly leaked from the hole caused by the bullet. The enemies were defeated and the Vault Hunters took a breather.

"That was way too easy for my liking" Axton bragged. The dome surrounding them dissipated and Junior perched himself on Mordecai's shoulder.

"Don't jinx us, Axton/ Unless you wish us murdered/ By a monster's hands" Zero said, placing his gun back in his holster.

"A win is a win, that's all that matters" Mordecai said while petting his bird "I prefer an easy fight over an all-out shit storm."

"We're badasses, amigos. We walk into shit storms and walk out of them smelling like roses" Salvador swanked with a cocky grin, placing the barrels of his signature shotguns over his shoulder.

"That's right, cause we're awesome!" Erick exclaimed "Nuff said."

"Victory" Claptrap jumped out and began break dancing and beat boxing.

"Looks like combining our powers paid off, Ace" Murphy bumped knuckles with Erick.

"Right Murph" Erick said. Eventually, they heard static through their Echos, it was Johnson.

"Congratulations, you burned half my face and pissed me off!" Johnson yelled through their Echo's "Now here's your prize, a slow and painful death!"

"Give it up Johnson. Your men are dead and you're burnt to a crisp. Who's gonna stop us?" Axton asked confidently. Suddenly, the screech of the alarms and the flashing of red lights filled the room.

"Alert! Project Gilgamesh is on the loose! I repeat, Project Gilgamesh is on the loose! This is not a drill!" said an automated female voice. Johnson's twisted cackle was heard through the Echo when he learned of Gilgamesh's awakening.

"He is!" Johnson laughed mockingly "Too bad I won't able to see it! Burn in hell assholes and when you're down there, tell Jack I said suck it!" the Vault Hunters turned toward the tank and saw the juggernaut kick open his glass tomb, coolant streamed through the giant hole that was formed and it dripped from his armored plating. The beast jumped down toward them, landing in front of the Hunters. Eridium slowly flowed through the tubes in his back and the beast let out an inhumane roar as his strength reached maximum yield.


	46. Chapter 45-Opportunity Knocks: Part 3

"Mierda!" yelled Salvador as he fired his weapons at the beast, Gilgamesh. The pellets from his weapon bounced off his armor and the beast laughed. He charged head first at the Gunzerker with mal intent, readying his fists to crush the short man. Murphy fired his thermal laser from his hands and landed a direct hit on his head. This caught the beast's attention and he turned around to face his aggressor.

"You want a real fight, face me!" Murphy yelled as he fired his Tri-Grenade Launcher at Gilgamesh. The grenades detonated on contact and staggered the beast slightly. Erick joined in and fired a large plasma bolt at the juggernaut. Axton used the missile pods from his Sabre Turret and pushed the beast further back. A cloud of smoke and gunpowder blanketed the area around Gilgamesh.

"Guess that was easier than expected" Axton said arrogantly "So much for the big bad killer monster."

"Don't let your guard down/ It's still very much alive/ And he is angry" Zero warned. As the smoke finally cleared, they saw Gilgamesh completely unharmed and still standing, growling like a rabid beast ready for the kill.

"You got to be shitting me! We threw everything we had at him and then some" Erick shouted with a scarred tone. Johnson continued laughing through their Echos, enjoying every little moment as the beast prepared for another attack.

"Just give it up weaklings!" Johnson exclaimed "Gilgamesh is the unstoppable force and immovable object wrapped up in one deadly package. Damn it, my face!" he grumbled in pain, still severely injured from his burns "If you do survive this, I swear I'm gonna kill you all personally! And I'm killing the brat and Murph first! You two are now personally at the top of my shit list!" He threatened Murphy and Erick through the Echo.

"I really hate that asshole" Erick said, trying to make lite of their predicament.

"Oh shit, he's charging at us!" Murphy flew in the air to avoid Gilgamesh from spearing him through a wall. He was ready to crush Axton who stood behind Murphy with his large arms "Axton, look out!"

"Phalanx shields up!" Axton commanded his turret to activate the Phalanx shield. The Turret protected the Commando with a large shield but Gilgamesh tore through it as if it were nonexistent. He proceeded to crush the turret under his large boot "How do you stop this damn thing?" Axton asked nervously.

"You don't soldier boy!" Johnson answered through their Echos "Now die! Shit, I'll terrorize you assholes later. I need medical attention for my face. Get some doctors over here and operate on me before the pain gets worse!" Johnson turned off his Echo and left the Vault Hunters to their fate. Gilgamesh was ready to grab Axton with his large hand until Zero jumped on its back. Zero tried cutting off one of the tubes but Gilgamesh grabbed the Assassin and threw him into a row of inactive Loaders like a baseball. Gilgamesh was ready to leap and crush the Assassin under his weight until Mordecai fired a pistol round at the creature's head. It caught his attention but the bullet bounced off Gilgamesh and shot Claptrap in the eye.

"AAAAAHHHH! My eye!" Claptrap screamed in pain as it clutched its little clampers around where its eye used to be "I can't see! I can't see!"

"Oops" Mordecai shrugged, uncaring of the robot's condition. Gilgamesh roared and spoke his first words.

"I will break you!" he bellowed as he made a break breaker motion toward Mordecai. Murphy fired his Slag Cannon into the beast in an attempt to soften his armor up with no effect. The creature's armor absorbed the slag into his body, further increasing his strength. Gilgamesh turned around and his fists started glowing red. A giant energy orb formed in his palm and he threw it at Murphy. The Enforcer flew to his right and avoided the attack. The ball started falling to the ground as gravity pulled it downwards and it almost hit Erick, detonating on contact with the floor.

"What the hell Murph! We're trying to kill this thing, not make it stronger!" Erick scolded as he put out a fire which was burning his sleeve, caused by the energy attack.

"Give me a break Ace! How was I supposed to know he could…" before Murphy could finish, Gilgamesh leaped into the air and snatched Murphy in flight. He slammed the Enforcer on the ground. Gilgamesh landed on top of Murphy and wrapped his metal fingers around the Enforcer.

"I crush you like insect" Gilgamesh threatened unintelligently as he squeezed Murphy.

"No…you…won't!" Murphy struggled to free himself from the monster's grasp. He wiggled his right arm loose and fired a thermal blast into his face, temporarily disorienting Gilgamesh. Murphy broke free of his hold and caught his breath for a minute while Gilgamesh fumbled around. Gilgamesh regained his sight and roared inhumanely.

"I smash everyone!" he growled, adjusting the nobs on his arm. More Eridium pumped into the creatures veins and his muscle mass began growing to gigantic proportions! The monster grew five feet taller and he pounded his fist into the ground.

"Perfecto, now he's pissed!" Salvador yelled angrily.

"I got your back Zero" Mordecai ran toward Zero and pulled the Assassin up. Zero was woozy from his unscheduled flight but he was still able to fight.

"I owe you… Look out!" Zero pushed Mordecai out of the way and he leaped toward the opposite direction as Gilgamesh tossed a Loader at them.

"Guess we're even now" Mordecai chuckled as he picked himself up. Axton, Erick, and Salvador fired their weapons at Gilgamesh but were unable to damage the beast. One of the bullets sliced through Gilgamesh's Eridium tubes and the beast growled in pain. Eridium began spilling on the ground and Gilgamesh stampeded toward the exit, tearing through the blast doors like Paper Mache.

"Gracia a dios, he's gone" Salvador breathed heavily.

"You just had to jinx us, Axton" Erick glared at the Commando "Those Hyperion jerks were sooooo easy, I want to kill something real challenging. Maybe we should pick a fight with an indestructible hulk. That should get the adrenaline flowing" Erick imitated Axton's gruff voice mockingly "Happy now!"

"Come on, don't be so harsh" Axton said defensively "We're alive aren't we?"

"For the moment at least but that thing's outside" Mordecai added "If he reaches Freedom City, he'll demolish everything in his way. Innocent people are gonna get hurt or worse if we don't stop him."

"Mordecai's right" Murphy picked himself off the ground and stretched his neck "He's hell bent on destruction and he'll kill anything to satisfy his itch."

"But how do we kill this thing? Gunfire isn't doing it and my powers aren't even leaving a scratch on him" Erick asked.

"The tubes" Zero pointed out, remembering how the beast cringed in pain when they'd cut off one of the beasts pipes.

"Zero's right" Murphy agreed "You saw how much pain he was in. If we sever his supply of Eridium, we might be able to slow him down, maybe even kill him if we're lucky enough."

"Like cutting off a drug addict" Erick said, seeing how dependent the creature was on Eridium.

"Yeah but we'll need some help" Axton argued "Erick and Murphy are the only ones who can go toe to toe with that monster. The rest of us are dead weight."

"That's not true, we need you guys. We'd have been toast if not for you" Erick admitted, counting the countless times Axton and the others had saved his skin.

"Look amigo, we appreciate the thought but we can't fight this thing like you can. You have powers and we're just chumps waving sticks in front colossus" Mordecai pointed out glumly.

"We killed the Warrior, we'll kill this pendejo" Salvador boasted.

"The Warrior had a giant glowing weak spot on his chest and we had the Moon Cannon to finish him off. This thing is nearly indestructible and a Moon Cannon isn't gonna keep us from biting the dust" Axton recollected his battle with the Warrior. The only reason they were able to kill the beast was because of the Hyperion Moon Cannon from the now destroyed Lunar Base "We need the Sirens help if we're gonna stop him."

"You know why they can't be here!" Murphy yelled, shoving the Commando back "Johnson still might have men lurking around the site, probably with the same Eridian tech he used against them in Lynchwood. Do you know what he'll do to them if he gets his paws on them?"

"I know but we have to take the risk" Axton urged, trying to convince Murphy to call for aid.

"We're doing this on our own and that's final!" Murphy shouted with authority "We'll do our best with what we have now."

"Damn it, fine! If we die here I'll shoot you in the ass with my rifle" Axton agreed begrudgingly.

"Don't know how much good we'll do you but we'll try our best to stop this thing" Mordecai pulled out his sniper rifle and reloaded the weapon.

"Any plans, Tin Man?" Salvador asked.

"You four keep your distance. Use the buildings as cover while Ace and I face this beast head on. If you see an opportunity to attack him, take it but do not take any unnecessary risk" Murphy instructed.

"Murph, I'll try and cut the tubes off with my claws and sword. I should be able to get close by phasing myself on top of his back" Erick informed to which Murphy agreed with.

"What about Claptrap?" Zero nodded his head toward the blind robot as it crawled on the floor.

"Leave him. Hammerlock can fix'em after we stop Gilgamesh" Mordecai answered.

"Alright, if everyone's ready, let's finish this thing" Murphy said and the others confirmed they were prepared for combat. Erick phased the group outside of the armory and into the construction site.

Meanwhile, Gilgamesh was kneeling in the site as rain continued pouring down from the sky. After catching his breath, he stood back on his own two feet again and roared inhumanely. He glared toward Freedom City, with the intent of killing everyone and destroying everything in his path. Suddenly, a sniper round pierced through one of his tubes and he recoiled in pain as his supply of Eridium began waning. Mordecai and Zero were firing sniper rounds from a distance, trying to weaken the creature from afar. Axton hid behind a bulldozer and threw a Crossfire grenade behind Gilgamesh. The grenade bounced in the air and fired bullets and smaller grenades, cutting three more tubes from his back.

"I angry! I smash puny human!" Gilgamesh screamed as the tubes flew everywhere, spewing precious Eridium on the floor. He bull rushed his way toward Axton, his fists in the air and visor glowing red with anger.

"Smash this, carbón!" Salvador exclaimed as he popped out of one of the construction vehicles and fired his two shotguns at the monster. The bullets actually pierced through the armor and purple blood jetted from his wounds. Gilgamesh placed pressure on the wound, trying to slow the bleeding.

"Why I hurt so bad? I is invincible!" he bellowed in pain. Murphy and Erick appeared in a cloud of purple haze in front of the beast.

"Not so tough without your supply, are you?" Murphy fired his shotgun into the beast's arm and he recoiled in pain. Erick fired a plasma bolt, severing the creature's arm and searing his shoulder plating off, revealing his puss covered, mutated flesh.

"Gilgamesh cannot die! Gilgamesh strongest there is!" He yelled as Eridium energy formed around his body. He slammed his fist into the ground and he knocked Erick and Murphy back, giving him some breathing room. Gilgamesh grabbed his severed arm and placed it on the stump where it once resided. The arm healed back in place and he moved his fingers to see if he could move his reattached limb. The Eridium still pumping in his veins was slowly healing him, returning him to his peak physical form.

"No games! I kill!" He shouted as he jumped in the air and ripped out a wrecking ball from its crane. He swung it around like a weapon and super charged it with lethal amounts of Eridium energy. He swung it around and slammed it near Erick and Murphy, missing by a couple of inches.

"I'm tired of fooling around with this damn monster, this ends now!" Murphy flew straight toward the creature with little to no hesitation. Erick joined him as electricity formed around his back and electric devil wings formed. The two combined their powers once more and fired electricity at the chain of the ball. The ball flew out of Gilgamesh's hands and it landed near his feet. Murphy fired his shoulder mounted chain gun and caster at Gilgamesh, tearing through his weakened armor with corrosive energy rounds and blasting a hole in his chest with a gauss round. Eridium mixed with blood began spilling from his wound into the ground.

"I dying! Dying bad for Gilgamesh!" The creature groaned in pain as he kneeled, weakened from his wounds.

"Now for the coup de grace" Erick phased behind Gilgamesh and severed the remaining tubes with his metal arm's claws and his sword. The Beast thrashed around on the ground as he shrank down to hs original 20 foot height. Erick's powers were at maximum thanks to the storm. He lifted his arms in the air and threw them downward as he summoned lighting from the sky. The lightning struck Gilgamesh and the others were temporarily blinded by the blue flash. When they looked back, they saw the creature's charcoaled body lying in a small crater. The others regrouped near the monster's corpse and circled around him in awe of Erick's display of power.

"What do you call that?" Axton looked toward Mordecai and raised an eyebrow curiously.

"That's lightning from the gods, Axton. Lightning from the gods" Mordecai explained as best as he could.

"And what does that make us?" Axton wondered.

"The poor saps that clean up the mess" Salvador added as he looked at the dead creature.

"Murph and I can't take all the credit, you softened him up for us" Erick said gratefully, gasping for air "First time I ever pulled that trick off without the use of Eridium."

"Might've been the extra charge from the storm" Mordecai explained.

"It was more than that. I felt an energy I'd never sensed before. It was fueling my powers and it's still there" Erick said with a hint of confusion "Maybe it was nothing but whatever it was, it saved our asses."

"No you're right Ace. I feel it too" Murphy confirmed the Brother's suspicions "When Ace and I were combining our strength, my suit's capabilities were off the scale. My weapons were growing stronger by the second."

"Very intriguing/ Perhaps Tannis was correct/ About both your powers" Zero shrugged.

"Guess that bastard, Johnson, is done for..." Axton was cut off as Gilgamesh stood back up in a full rage. He grabbed Murphy by his shoulders and tried to lift him in the air. The Enforcer's markings grew bright purple as his strength began to exceed Gilgamesh's. Murphy punched a hole through his chest and ripped out his heart. The beast chocked on its own blood and fell on the ground. Axton, Mordecai, Zero, and Salvador unloaded every ounce of lead from their weapons and filled Gilgamesh's corpse, just to be sure he's dead. Murphy threw the heart on the ground and exited Riot Mode.

"That was new" Murphy looked at the markings as they returned to their red color "I never felt this strong before. Tannis was right. With our combined strength, we're force to be reckoned with Ace."

"I'm curious to see what else you and I can do" Erick smirked confidently.

"Save the bromance for later" Axton joked "Let's call Brick so he can order the Slabs to pick up the extra munitions. I'm ready to get some sleep."

"And it'll do me some good to get out of this damn storm. ACHOO!" Salvador sneezed as his cold returned.

"We got lucky most of the bots and the guns remained intact after our brawl with the big guy over here" Mordecai pointed toward the deceased Gilgamesh.

"I'll call him" Murphy placed his fingers on the side of his helmet "Brick, order the Slabs to the construction site. We'll need their Buzzards to gather the Loader reinforcements and the extra munitions. Ace will phase us home so don't worry about us. Oh, and pick up Claptrap while you're at it."

"Got it slab" Brick bellowed through the Echo.

"You got enough for another trip, Erick?" Axton looked at the exhausted Brother.

"I have enough juice left in me. Gather around everyone" Erick's markings glowed blue and everyone disappeared in a swirling purple vortex.


	47. Chapter 46-Goddess of the Stars

Back at Sanctuary, the weather was cool and the sun was out, setting over the horizon. The weather was much calmer in Sanctuary unlike the downpour plaguing Freedom City. The other Vault Hunters were in the central control room, waiting for Murphy and the others to return. The map displayed the Arid Nexus and the heavily fortified battle cruiser which floated over the slag polluted wasteland. Lilith stood in her usual spot on the far end of the table with A.N.N stood on top of the holographic map. Brick was sitting by himself on the left side of the table and the girls all stood on the right side of the table. A blinding flash near the balcony made everyone cover their eyes. Erick had phased the team back to the HQ.

"Your saviors have returned!" Axton shouted as he holstered his rifle over his shoulders "Where's the champagne, confetti, and music?" Brick laughed at Axton's arrogance. Montayva, Ari, A.N.N and Gaige smiled. Maya shot Axton a look that screamed _you're a moron_ and Lilith just rolled her eyes.

"First we need to wipe Hyperion off the map once and for all, then we'll celebrate" Lilith returned with a hint of annoyance.

"Glad to have you boys back, you look like hammered shit" A.N.N noticed how worn out the six men were.

"After everything we went through, we feel like hammered shit" Erick admitted. He walked forward and stumbled slightly, nearly falling on the ground. Zero caught him and looped Erick's metal arm around his neck.

"Erick!" Ari and Gaige shouted and rushed forward to see if they could help the exhausted Brother.

"I'm fine really, just a bit fatigued" Erick struggled to get the words out of his sentence as he breathed heavily "I just need a quick recharge and I'll be good as new."

"What happened in Freedom City? Last time we've seen you this worn out was after your battle with Richard in the Blight and those monks on Athenas" Gaige asked. Zero handed Ari and Gaige Erick and they both took one arm each, looping them around their necks.

"Fill'em in in guys" Erick told the other Vault Hunters who were there beside him.

"I don't even know where to begin" Mordecai joked. Junior flew off his shoulder and perched himself on top of the table.

"We found the weapons/ Fought Hyperion troopers/ and slayed a monster" Zero oversimplified the events which transpired in the construction site.

"A little more details would suffice" Maya raised an eyebrow toward the men.

"I'll tell ya what happened" Axton started as he scratched his chin in thought "You already know we found the armory and let me tell ya we hit the friggin mother load."

"And that's not all we found" Salvador cut in "We found un monstro called Gilgamesh locked in some frozen glass tube in the dead center of the room."

"We studied his files/ Jack created this horrid beast/ As a means to kill" Zero added.

"Like Zero said, we dug up some files on our giant friend from a nearby terminal. Jack made that thing from his slag experiments. He was gonna use him to kill us years back but he couldn't keep Gilgamesh inline. Jack decided to lock him up in his armory until he could finally figure out how to control him" Mordecai said, wiping the rain water from his goggles "After that, we were ambushed by an ass load of Hyperion assassins and their douchebag leader, Johnson."

"We caught them off guard thanks to Ace and my Riot Mode. We killed all of the assassins" Murphy continued the story "Johnson, like the snake he is, slithered his way out of harms way but not before I severely injured him. Things just went from bad to worse after we dealt with Hyperion. Gilgamesh broke loose and tried to kill us but with some quick thinking and Ace's powers, we were able to stop him."

"And that big palooka was as easy as they came" Axton lied through his teeth.

"Really? Then why were you scared out your mind every time they mentioned Gilgamesh?" Montayva inquired.

"Me scared? Please!" Axton yelled arrogantly, trying to hide his fear.

"Give it up, Axton. You can't hide the truth from me, remember?" Montayva tapped her finger against her forehead and smiled teasingly at Axton.

"He pissed himself a little" Salvador laughed and Axton shot him a look that yelled _shut it._

"Axton cried as well/ He demanded we call you/ To save his dumb ass" Zero took a potshot at Axton as well as an evil smiley emote projected over his faceplate.

"I hate you both" Axton grumbled.

"We love you too" Zero said sarcastically.

"Take a joke amigo" Salvador patted Axton on the shoulder.

"Don't be such a sour puss, live a little" Maya pouted teasingly at Axton.

"Whatever" Axton groaned, still in a foul mood.

"Jokes aside, Gilgamesh was a huge pain in the ass. I took everything we had and a little extra to kill the beast" Murphy said truthfully.

"Why didn't you call for help? We could have flipped the odds in your favor" Lilith added.

"We couldn't risk the Sirens' safety, Lilith. For all we knew at the time, there could have been Hyperion troops stationed around the site just waiting for a chance to nab one of you" Murphy pointed out, directing his statement to the Sirens.

"He's got a point Lil" Brick said in the Enforcer's defense "Can't risk making a bad call so close to the end of the game. It might've backfired on us big-time."

"They came back alive and in one piece, that's all that matters" A.N.N said with a hint of relief.

"Yeah" Lilith sighed, still feeling like a burden. She ignored her own problems and turned toward Erick "I'm being selfish again, how you feeling, kiddo?"

"Drained but I'll be fine. A little electricity should return me to full strength in not time" Erick assured. He averted his gaze toward Ari and Gaige "you two can let go. I can walk on my own two feet."

"You almost blacked out on us. Are you sure you can move without our help?" Ari questioned with a worried look on her face.

"I'm good" Erick removed his arms from the pair's shoulders and slowly walked over to Brick "So big guy, what's out plan for the Nexus" the other men joined Erick and Brick and walked over to the left side of the table. Murphy stood next to Lilith and removed his helmet, placing it on the table. Gaige and Ari walked back toward their original spots around the table.

"My Slabs are arming up for a full frontal assault on the Pegasus, Hyperion's flagship in the Nexus" Brick pointed toward the hologram floating over the map "With the bots from the armory and some of the old Lance APCs we scavenged in T-Bone Junction, we'll rip Hyperion to shreds. I'll personally lead the assault."

"And with their main base destroyed and Johnson dead, the remaining troops on Pandora will become disorganized and scared out of their minds" Maya said optimistically "After that, it's just basic cleanup duty for us."

"Cut off the head of the snake and the body dies. It's foolproof" Mordecai said maliciously.

"What's our role in the plan?" Murphy asked patiently.

"We're sitting this one out, Murphy" Gaige said depressingly.

"What?" Axton complained "You mean to tell us we went through all that crap to fetch the robots and we don't even get the chance to fight alongside them? This is bullshit!"

"After all you've been, through you still want to fight?" Gaige inquired.

"Hell yeah I still want to fight!" Axton exclaimed, his blood boiling hot.

"Too bad, we're staying here until Johnson's been killed and his cruiser is nothing but scrap metal" Lilith said "Now shut up and quit whining you big baby."

"Brick's gonna hog all the fun" Axton whined.

"Karma's a bitch" Maya joked, reminding Axton of how rude he was to Brick during their planning period to take over Sawtooth Cauldron.

"And so are you two" Axton shot back at Lilith and Maya. Maya kicked Axton in the shin and Lilith slapped him upside the head. Everyone laughed at the Commando's miserable state.

"To be honest amigo, I actually enjoy the idea of kicking it here and letting the Slabs do all the work for us" Mordecai admitted.

"Plus there will be plenty of bad guys to shoot after Johnson's dead" Salvador shrugged.

"That basically covers everything for tomorrow. We should rest up and hope for the best" Ari advised.

"Good, I need my strength back up" Erick grunted.

"I'll head to Thousand Cuts and get the Slabs organized" Brick said, cracking his knuckles.

"You guys get your rest, I need to talk with Lilith and Murphy" A.N.N said, looking at her two closest friends. The others respected the AI's wishes and walked down the stairs. Murphy and Lilith approached the AI to hear her out.

"A.N.N, what do you want to tell us?" Lilith queried.

"You've already heard this before but I thought it best to tell Murphy with you here" A.N.N said solemnly. Lilith frowned when she remembered the promise she made A.N.N that day when they were both alone.

"What's wrong?" Murphy noticed how sad the two were.

"Murphy, before I tell you, I need to know if you truly love her" A.N.N said.

"With all my heart" Murphy answered truthfully and Lilith smiled.

"And your past, are you willing to let go? Are you willing to forgive yourself for your past mistakes?" A.N.N pressed on with the questions.

"I already have" Murphy answered again. He was telling the truth. After the Siren entered his life, the nightmares of his past were long gone and he was ready to move on with his life for both A.N.N and Lilith's sakes.

"Okay" A.N.N took a short pause before telling him "Lilith promised to take care of you always if I should shut down permanently."

"You mean die" Murphy corrected, seeing the AI as a human and not a machine. A.N.N nodded and confirmed what she meant "Why? What's wrong with you? If there's a problem, maybe Ace or Gaige can fix it."

"I'm fine Murphy, there's nothing wrong with me" A.N.N smiled at his concern for her, glad he still cared for her safety "It's just… AIs may have a limitless life cycle but we're not immortal. If anything should happen to me, Lilith will take care of you. She promised me she would."

"It's true Jason" Lilith accepted A.N.N's request weeks earlier.

"If you're worried about Johnson, I won't let anything happen to you. I promise A.N.N" Murphy assured.

"Don't make a girl a promise you can't keep, Murphy" A.N.N said "Just promise me you won't blame yourself for my death and that you'll cherish Lilith always."

"I can't let anything happen to you, A.N.N. You're the only family I have left" Murphy said with a sadder tone of voice.

"Not anymore, partner" A.N.N turned toward Lilith as a way of saying she was his family now.

"I promise" Murphy nodded, showing he would keep his word.

"It's getting late Jason, you need your rest" Lilith advised "Goodnight A.N.N."

"Sleep well you two" A.N.N returned as she entered standby mode. Murphy and Lilith entered their room and closed the door shut. Murphy was upset at what A.N.N said about meeting her possible end. His depression concerned Lilith greatly and she placed her hand on his face and gently turned his head to face her.

"Jason, I don't know what the future holds for us but no matter what happens, I will always be there for you" Lilith drew him in closer and wrapped her arms around his neck "That's a promise" she brought his head down closer to hers and gave him a quick kiss "I love you with all of my heart."

"I love you with my heart as well" Murphy slowly placed his hand around her hips "I won't let any harm to come to you or anyone else close to us. I promise" He pulled her in and gave her a longer, much more passionate kiss. Murphy slowly moved his hand over his wrist and typed in the combination to remove his suit. The armor's markings turned dim and pieces slowly fell from his body. He slowly undressed the red haired Siren and pressed her body against the wall. He lifted her gently and she wrapped her legs around his hips. He entered her and moved his hips forward gently. He trailed his lips down her neck and her breathing grew heavy. He eventually made his way up her neck and kissed her eagerly on the lips. He carried her over the bed and laid her on top of it. He kissed her in her lower abdomen and slowly made his way upward as she moaned with every act of passion. In this climb, He kissed her on her upper abdomen, then her shoulder, then her neck, across her cheek, finally making it to her lips. He leaned over her and kissed her eagerly. He moved his hips slowly and she pressed her body against his touch, encouraging him to give her more.

She flipped him over on his back and moved her hips fervently against his. Her moans slowly grew louder as she moved her hips faster against his, increasing his pace as well. Eventually, both slowed down and controlled their pace, wanting the moment to last as long as they could, treating each act of love as if it were their last. Lilith slowly moved her hands over his bare chest until she reached his face. She gently traced her finger down the scar on his lip. He looked into her smoldering eyes and he gently placed his hands around her body, exploring her curves firmly but gently. He reached up to move a loose strand of hair back from her face. He sat up and kissed her hungrily as he wrapped his arms around her waist. Both slowly lost control of themselves and increased their pace, thrusting their hips against each other faster by the minute. Lilith screamed erotically as her body succumbed to the wave of ecstasy building inside her and climaxed as it engulfed her, spurring Murphy's release. She rested her head on his shoulder as she caught her breath and Murphy held her close. Murphy placed his hand under her chin and lifted her face, giving her one last kiss goodnight. Both lied themselves on the bed and drifted to sleep.

It was the middle of the night, Murphy awoke slowly and Lilith was still asleep right beside him, lying on her stomach. Lilith could feel him stirring and she slowly awoke as well. She lifted her head up and saw Murphy awake and sitting up.

"Can't sleep?" She asked quietly "Did you have a nightmare?"

"Nah" He answered and smiled slightly. He looked at Lilith and took in her radiant beauty "Just have a lot on my mind is all. It's making me restless."

"Thinking about anything in particular?" she pressed on.

"Hyperion meeting their end tomorrow, what A.N.N told me, and us" He reached for the sheets and pulled it slowly off her body, exposing her naked form once more "I don't deserve someone like you" He admitted as leaned over and slowly kissed her in her lower back, tracing his lips up her spine until he finally reached her lips and gave her a passionate kiss.

"I could say the same about you too" Lilith smiled and Murphy smiled in return. Her smile slowly turned into a frown when a thought crawled into her mind.

"What's bothering you?" Murphy asked, concerned for his love.

"What are you going to do after this is over? I know you have to return to your world" she remembered his original objective.

"After Hyperion's been dealt with, I plan on taking Ace and Gaige on a small trip to Eden-5. After that, we'll return to Pandora. I'm never leaving you, I couldn't live with myself if I did" He answered and she smiled again, enjoying the idea of Murphy staying by her side "You could come with us."

"I would but I need to stay here and manage things. This place would fall apart without me" Lilith laughed although her statement was true. She was the Vault Hunters' leader, the only reason they had made it this far was because of her guidance and vigilance.

"Yeah, you're the only one who could keep this wild bunch inline" Murphy joked and placed his hand on her warm cheek "I'll miss you."

"I know. Just remember there's someone waiting for you" she added as she covered his hand with her own "What are you plans for Eden-5?"

"For one, I'm handing in my resignation. The force doesn't need an old war horse like me" Murphy said truthfully. The police could handle themselves well without his aid "Then Ace, Gaige, and I will take in the sights. Maybe visit Vito's and have some Pizza. Finally we'll visit Gaige's parents afterwards."

"Poor Erick. Gaige's dad is gonna tear him apart" Lilith joked playfully "Hopefully his wingman will swoop in and save the day if things take a turn for the worst" she looked toward Murphy, obviously pointing out the brotherly friendship the two had forged.

"Sorry but he's on his own with that one" Murphy laughed "Criminals and giant monsters I can handle easily. Dads are not my forte."

"Glad you never met mine then cause he would have kicked ass the minute he met you" She chuckled, remembering how overprotective her father was.

"You never talk about your family" Murphy pointed out.

"There's not much to say really. My dad was a pretty stern man but he was a good father. He was always protective of me, especially around boys. If he even saw one a mile from our house or few feet near me, he would pull out his old Jakobs double barrel and scare them off" she rolled her eyes and shook her head "When I hit adolescence, that's when things really got wild. That's when my Siren powers developed and the boys really started following me home. I drove him nuts with the trouble I caused."

"Sounds like a good father to me" Murphy shrugged "How's your old man?"

"He's gone. He died on my 18th birthday" Lilith answered and looked down, fighting back emotion.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to upset you" he apologized.

"It's not your fault, you didn't know" she admitted.

"And what about your mom?" Murphy pressed on, trying to be sensitive about the topic.

"She's still around" Lilith looked up at Murphy "My mom was always a worrywart but she was always compassionate. It compensated for my dad's gruffness. I haven't spoken to her in a while but I know she's okay. I know it's a touchy subject but what was your family like?"

"Boy, where do I start" Murphy began scratching his hair in thought "My dad was a ship engineer, working on cruisers for the Dahl Military stationed on my home world. He was busy but he always made time for me and my younger sister Ann. My mom was a researcher studying the Eridian race on planets like Zeus and Icarus-3 so Ann and I didn't spend as much time with her as we'd liked. We always talked to her through long distance calls on the Echonet. She always talked about the Vaults, Sirens, and the Eridian race. That's how I learned of their existence and it sparked Ann's dream of being a Vault Hunter. My sister was an energetic kid, always talking about how she was going to explore the galaxy and find mystical treasures and adventures in the deepest corners of space."

"You must miss them a lot" Lilith noticed the melancholy look in Murphy's face when he recounted his experiences with his family.

"I do" He admitted solemnly "For the longest time, I thought I would always be alone, never finding happiness. But then I found you. You saved me, Lilith. You pulled me out of the abyss and brought me back to the light" he leaned over again and gave her a quick kiss.

"We saved each other" Lilith smiled "After Roland died, I closed my heart to the world, never allowing anyone to grow close to me again. Jason, you opened my heart and freed me from my fears. Thank you" she moved closer and snuggled in his embrace and he wrapped his arms around her.

"I love you, my goddess of the stars" Murphy kissed her again and she chuckled a little.

"You're so corny but that's what I love about you, my knight in shining armor" she returned affectionately.

"It's part of my charm. And your line was just as cheesy" Murphy joked teasingly.

"That was my intention" she teased back "Now let's go back to sleep. We need our rest" she pulled the blanket over herself and Murphy. She tucked her head under his chin as she drifted back to sleep. Murphy soon fell asleep as Lilith pressed herself against him, holding him close.


	48. Chapter 47-The Devil You Know

In the Arid Nexus, an old Hyperion battle cruiser floated over the ruined desert area. The area was littered with Eridium run-off and mutated creatures roamed the desert. The old Hyperion facilities once controlled by Handsome Jack himself had begun falling apart. Buildings and structures were torn apart and rotting like corpses, symbolizing the death of the old Hyperion. The Cruiser was created with some of the most advanced Hyperion technology known to man. The ship was named the Pegasus. Johnson had stolen it from his ex-employer, Jeffery Blake, after he decapitated him and burned his corpse. Blake was the reason Johnson even joined the Hyperion military. Blake found the young survivor killing for scraps in Promethea and was impressed by his brutality and skill. After an offer of power and control of the military, Johnson agreed with the offer and became the cruel, sadistic, masochist he is today. Johnson wiped out planets like Apollo-18 and murdered Dahl soldiers on Thermis. After Blake sided with Jack and left him for dead, Johnson decided to take over and warped Hyperion into his own twisted vision. What remained of Blake's and Jack's influences were gone, replaced by the militant persona built from violence and brutality.

Johnson resided in the captain's quarters of the ship, beaten and weary after Murphy burned off the entire left side of his face. All the skin was melted off, exposing bones, muscles, and tendons. He was slumped on the chair of the room, shooting busts of Handsome Jack and Jeffery Blake to pass the time. He had issues breathing due to Murphy's attack and he was blinded on the left side of his eye. The proud Commander of the Hyperion military was a shell of what he once was. He was broken and greatly enraged by his failures to capture the Sirens, the Vault Key, and the location of the Champion's Vault. He was even more infuriated by the news of the Vault Hunters' survival and the death of Gilgamesh. One of his soldiers entered his chambers to inform Johnson of the intel he gathered on Erick and Murphy.

"Sir, I have the reports on the boy and the cyborg per your instructions" the soldier said nervously. Johnson fired two more rounds into the Jack bust and placed the pistol on the table next to his chair.

"Speak!" Johnson turned his head to face the soldier and startled him due to the horrific injuries that plagued his face.

"Oh dear god!" yelled the soldier in fear. He noticed his remark further enraged Johnson due to his right eye twitching. Johnson still hadn't gotten used to his deformed and appearance "I'm so sorry sir, I meant no disrespect."

"Just… give… me… The files" Johnson demanded, his breathing was labored due to his injuries.

"Of course sir, here is our intelligence report on the boy" the soldier handed Johnson the file on Erick and Johnson read it with revenge seething in his eyes "The boy's name is Erick Tesla Roberts. He is from the planet Earth, which is currently caught in a global conflict known as WW3. From your firsthand accounts of his abilities and our scientists' knowledge of Siren lore, he appears to be the Brother Guardian. We believed the being had disappeared from existence after the ancient conflict involving the Champion but it looks as if he's resurfaced."

"You're telling me that my men, the most highly trained fighting force in the six galaxies got their asses kicked by some super powered brat from a backwater planet?!" Johnson gripped the arm of his chair, not taking the news very lightly "And how come we didn't figure out he had lightning powers until now?"

"Every time our surveillance drones tried to record his movements, his electromagnetic physiology created massive amounts of interference, disrupting our video feeds" the soldier informed "Any of our troops who made contact with him were killed before they could warn us of his abilities. You're the first to ever survive and tell the tale, sir."

"Anything else I need to know?" Johnson inquired menacingly.

"Yes, his younger sister Arycka is a Siren. She is on Pandora working alongside the other Vault Hunters" the soldier confirmed. Johnson began laughing hysterically.

"Now I know which Siren to pick to charge the key" Johnson cackled and coughed up some blood. He calmly wiped it from his mouth and hid his growing weakness from the soldier "And Murphy, what's his story?"

"Lieutenant Jason Murphy, born on the planet Eden-5. He is considered one of the greatest police officers to ever don the uniform and it's greatest hero by the people of that world" the soldier read from the report "Unlike his young friend, he has no family. We have no details on how he received the armor or where he found it but we do know he was responsible for the death of a wealthy business man who used his influence to gain control of his world."

"What happened to Murphy's family?" Johnson asked.

"His parents were killed in a car accident and his sister was murdered a few years later by a junkie" the soldier answered.

"Guess he and I share something in common" Johnson added. Johnson's family was murdered by the Lance who served under the banner of the Atlas Corporation but unlike Murphy who used his family's death as motivation to do good, Johnson used it as his motivation to survive by any means necessary "Still find it hard to believe I got my ass kicked by a brat from Earth and a worthless gun hand from Eden-5 but considering the circumstances it makes perfect sense. Why are they here on Pandora?"

"The boy came to this world to avoid being drafted into the army by his world's government while the officer came here to look for a missing person. The missing person is also one of the Vault Hunters, the young mechanic with the killer robot" the soldier informed.

"So the pieces are finally coming together and showing us the big picture" Johnson grinned sinisterly "Now on to another matter, my health. How's bad is it?"

"Sir, the wounds you've suffered has cost you the use of your left eye, all the skin on the left side of your face has been melted off, lung capacity is less than 50%, and parts of your brain are inactive. You shouldn't even be alive right now" the soldier admitted and Johnson just chuckled.

"I'm having a serious case of déjà vu" Johnson chuckled "Blake told me the same thing when he and I had our family reunion a couple of years back on the Hyperion Corporation company cruise ship. I remember the scared look on his wrinkly face right before I disemboweled him and cut off his head with the very knife he gave me on promotion day. Good times. Any way to fix me or is this it?"

"The Doomsday MK-57 combat suit should compensate for your physical deterioration and prevent further damage to your body" the soldier answered optimistically "You're not dying on us yet sir."

"Good. I promised my men I would personally hand them their slice of the galaxy and I am a man of my word" Johnson smiled slightly "Too bad it'll be in a giant metal coffin instead of my usual attire. In as strange way, part of me actually enjoys wearing that old tin can again. The battles I've won with it, the men I've killed with it and the pain and suffering I've dealt with it. We've been apart for far too long. Anything else?"

"We were able to repair that old Eridian broad sword we discovered in the Lynchwood mine before it was destroyed. From what our scientist say, it should give you an edge against the Lieutenant. Finally, the Ragnarok wrist mounted missile launcher has also been prepared for you" the soldier notified.

"Looks like the old Johnson is making a comeback after all. And trust me when I say this, he is the one person in this galaxy not to be fucked with" Johnson uttered as blood slowly dripped form his left eye. He wiped the blood with his hand and he stood up gingerly "When will the MK-58 be ready for use?"

"The scientists have completed the weapon. It lack's the MK-57's heavy armor plating, giving you more mobility but in turn making you more vulnerable to weapon fire. Caution is strongly advised when using the weapon" the soldier advised.

"And IT?" Johnson groaned as he struggled to walk forward to face the trooper.

"Yes, IT is ready for the assault on Sanctuary. The Vault Hunters will be shocked to see IT again" the soldier responded.

"Perfect. Gather the men, we're hitting those savages when dawn breaks. It's time we end this war" Johnson said as he formed his hand into a fist. The soldier saluted his commanding officer and left the room to gather the men.

The men were all stationed in the main room in the center of Pegasus. The room was a wide open meeting ground for the soldiers to gather supplies, prepare for air drops, and prep the Loaders for military assault. Johnson walked into the room and stood above the men on a platform overlooking the room. He was no longer wearing his old Hyperion armor but now donned his original combat suit from his younger years in the military. It was an advanced combat suit with a miniature missile launcher on his right forearm and a thermal laser in his left hand, right in the middle of his palm. He wore a sheath over his right shoulder which held his powerful blade and his knife was still in the sheath on his boot as before. The suit was silver, resembling something a mercenary would wear. The armor was slimmer than his old Hyperion commander uniform and he wore a metal helmet which hid his deformed face. The visor was shaped like a pair of red eyes which looked like they were the eyes of the devil. Johnson used this armor when he was an assassin for Hyperion but abandoned it when he became a commander, believing his old tactics and methods were no longer suitable for the role of a leader. With his ever worsening condition and how close he was to losing the war, Johnson thought it was now time to go back to his original art of warfare. Johnson grabbed an Echo device and spoke through the intercom.

"My soldiers, my friends, my brothers in arms" Johnson started "We have suffered under the foot of corporate sycophants and cowards for as long as we can remember. When we joined the Hyperion military, our reasons for enlisting weren't for another pay day or the chance at a better life for our families, it was to build a better future for the galaxy, a bright shining civilization where everyone could have the chance to better themselves through the guidance and strength of Hyperion. That all changed when Jack took over and murdered the original administration. Instead of creating a better future for everyone, he wanted to satisfy his ego and make himself into the one thing that hideous bastard strived to be, a god. He abused us, exploited our capabilities and for what? Some shithole in the far reaches of the galaxy and some ancient monster, which was killed but mere weaklings. He wasted our talents for nothing and he paid for it when the Vault Hunters made him nothing. That was merely salt on the wound, the infection truly began to spread when our leaders left us to die on this rock instead of saving us from the wrath of those savages" the soldiers started booing, expressing their hatred for the Board of Directors abandoning them and leaving them at the hands of Bandits and the Vault Hunters. Johnson raised his hands and the crowd silenced.

"I know you detest those cowards, I despise them as much as you do" Johnson continued "And I know what you're all wondering, 'where was our fearless leader when we were suffering? Where was he when we needed him most?' I was dishonorably discharged and stripped of my rank and command when I disapproved of Jack's selfish ambitions. After years of clashing and quarrelling, the prick launched me into space through the use of a state of the art moon cannon, with the intention of granting me a painful and humiliating death. But it was not the end of me, I survived with the use of a teleporter and safely entered Eden-6's atmosphere. After some explicit escapades with the hot babes of the planet, I discovered the existence of a Vault containing the weapons which would help achieve our original objective of creating a better future for the six galaxies, the Champion's Vault!" the crowd cheered with applause and whistling. They slowly settled down and allowed Johnson to finish.

"When I heard of the suffering you'd endured and that you were left to die on Pandora, I was compelled to forsake my self-imposed exile and liberate you from your undeserved penance. I singlehandedly murdered all of the corporate parasites, saved you from an untimely demise, and reclaimed Hyperion for you, my brothers!" the men cheered more when Johnson made his statement "On the day of my return, I offered you two choices. One choice was you could leave the military behind and live happily with your family in the home worlds. You deserved peace and prosperity after the punishment you endured. The other choice was the chance to achieve our original mission and forge the better future the galaxy needs, under Hyperion rule. All of you chose the latter and rejected the former as an option. I am honored by your loyalty and your faith in me. The fact you're entrusting your lives in my feeble hands says much of your bravery and character, it is a privilege to lead you all into battle" Johnson paused for a second to contemplate what should he say next.

"Unfortunately, I have failed many of you. Recently, many soldiers sacrificed themselves in the battle for Hyperion's new world order, men who valiantly heeded the call of duty and battled on the frontlines. They all died under my command, I own those failures and carry them like I carry everything else. I'll remember each and every one of those sacrifices and honor them for years to come. But the time for mourning comes later, the time for victory comes now!" Johnson yelled through the speakers "Tomorrow when the sun rises over the horizon, we will strike the heart of the enemy and enact our vengeance upon them. We will be one step closer of reaching the Promised Land! We will be one step closer of ending this war! But this cannot be achieved with machines and weapons alone, we must band together and combine our strength and send them all down the express elevator to hell! Our victory will not be earned because of just me, no! It will be earned from the blood, sweat, and tears of the Hyperion military! We will succeed where others have failed and unite this chaotic universe under our banner! With our combined might and the weapons of the Champion himself, we will bring purity and order to this depraved galaxy and we will destroy this mistake of a planet, Pandora! The galaxy will quiver in fear on the day of our reckoning and bow down before their new masters, us! By the end of this journey, the galaxy will be yours as I promised, my soldiers! By the end of this war, we will become gods amongst mortals! All hail our better future! All hail our regime!" Johnson raised his fist in the air and the men imitated the motion.

"All hail Hyperion!" the soldiers yelled in perfect synchronization.


	49. Chapter 48-Bye Bye Babylon: Part 1

It was morning in Sanctuary. Brick had already left for the Nexus with his army of Slabs while the others waited in the Crimson Raider HQ for any news. Murphy and Lilith were standing outside near the Roland statue in the center of town, the Enforcer was paying his respects while the red haired Siren was saying goodbye to Roland one last time before she could move on with her life. Murphy was armored up and holding his Heavy Metal rifle, prepared for any surprise attack. Murphy turned toward Lilith and noticed the depressed look on her face.

"You don't have to do this" Murphy insisted.

"I can't avoid this any longer, Jason. It's the only way I'll ever move on with my life" Lilith argued. She placed her hand on the plaque and began speaking "Hey, it's been a while since you and I've talked" she started, acting as if the deceased soldier was there "I just wanted you to know I've finally let go, Roland. I've moved on and found someone else, someone I can have a future with. He's a great guy, he's kind, caring, and compassionate. He's a bit of a hard case and he gets on my nerves sometimes but I'll manage. I just wanted to say that I'll always remember you, Roland, And to say goodbye" A tear rolled down the side of her cheek and Murphy reached over to wipe it away.

"I know I can't replace him, Lilith. Just remember that he loved you always. And so do I" Murphy slowly wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her in close.

"I know, Jason" she gave him a quick kiss on the lips and rested her head on his shoulder "Let's go home and wait for any news from Brick."

"Good idea, watching Zero kick Axton's cry baby ass in video games should cheer us up" Murphy joked and she laughed. The two turned around and began walking back to the HQ. Suddenly, static came though the Echo and Brick's voice could be heard.

"Lil, can you hear me? We got problems" Brick bellowed through the Echo. Lilith pulled her Echo device from her belt and spoke into it.

"What's wrong Brick? The Slabs having trouble with Hyperion?" she asked.

"That's not it, the base isn't here" Brick answered.

"What do you mean the base isn't there" Murphy asked.

"I mean it's long gone. Ship's no longer in the Nexus and neither are the troops" Brick clarified.

"They couldn't have known we were coming. Something's up" Lilith pointed out.

"No kidding, my boys and I are heading back to Thousand Cuts and…" suddenly, a large amount of interference drowned out Brick's voice.

"Brick, are you there? Brick?" Lilith kept asking again and again but nothing came through the Echo.

"Brick might be in some sort of trouble. We should return to HQ and warn the others" Murphy advised and Lilith nodded in agreement. The two ran into the HQ and everyone was standing in the lobby. Montayva and Mordecai were on a chair. Junior was perched on his shoulder and the baby was in her arms. Axton and Zero were playing games while sitting on the couch as per usual. Salvador, Maya and Ari were standing next to them and watching them go at it. Erick and Gaige were upgrading Death-Trap's hardware near the entrance.

"Guys, lock and load" Lilith ordered. The others stopped what they were doing and followed the Siren's instructions.

"Something happened to Brick, didn't it?" Montayva could sense Murphy and Lilith's stress and immediately knew something was wrong.

"Yeah, we were talking with Brick through my communicator and we were cut off" Lilith said.

"Maybe it was bad weather. You know how sandstorms tend to mess with communications" Axton suggested.

"Couldn't have been a dust storm. There are no reports of bad weather in the area" Murphy said.

"Maybe it's broken" Ari suggested.

"Nah, mine's acting up too" Erick confirmed when he tried using his.

"Mine's wonky too" Gaige added.

"What the hell is going on?" Mordecai noticed his Echo was malfunctioning too.

"Something's jamming us. That's the only explanation" Axton checked his Echo too and it was malfunctioning.

"I'll head upstairs and see if A.N.N and I can clear the airwaves" Ari ran up the stairs to see what was wrong.

"Murph, catch" Erick grabbed Murphy's helmet which was sitting on the table next to the couch and tossed it toward the Enforcer.

"Thanks Ace" Murphy caught his helmet and wore it over his head, his visor lighting up as the locks activated "Things might turn sour so prepare yourselves."

"We should evacuate Sanctuary. It's our best course of action" Lilith advised and the others agreed with her decision.

"Monty, take our little girl and head to Freedom City. Things might go bad" Mordecai instructed.

"What about you?" Montayva's voiced quavered as she spoke.

"I'm staying here to help evacuate the rest of the town" Mordecai answered.

"I can help, let me stay here and…" she started.

"I'm sorry but you need to leave. Please listen to me" Mordecai begged.

"Ok" she spoke softly. She kissed him goodbye and disappeared in a flash of purple light.

"You'll see them again. We'll make sure of it" Maya guaranteed.

"Yeah, I hope so" Mordecai said glumly "Come on boy, let's gather everyone to the center of town" Mordecai spoke to his bird. He ran outside to gather the townspeople for evacuation.

"Let's back him up" Axton advised, turning his head toward Zero and Salvador.

"Right amigo" the Gunzerker complied.

"Agreed" Zero Pulled out his sword and ran outside with Axton and Salvador.

"I should be able to phase everyone out of Sanctuary. Should be a piece of cake" Lilith stretched her arms and cracked her knuckles.

"Erick, you should stay with Murphy and Lilith. They'll need you to phase everyone to Freedom City" Gaige advised "Maya and I'll will evacuate the south side of Sanctuary."

"You sure you don't need me?" Erick asked worriedly.

"Don't worry, she can take care of herself" Maya smirked. Gaige gave Erick a quick kiss for good luck and she activated DT. The three ran outside to evacuate the southern half of Sanctuary.

"Don't get me wrong but why worry about Hyperion? With the upgrades to the shields, there's no way they can breach the city's perimeter. They would need at least 5 battle cruisers to crack the shields open" Erick added.

"Can't risk it, kiddo" Lilith argued "This city has been attacked before" she reminded him of Jack's lunar assault and Eve's bombardment of the city "Better we save as many lives as we can before the shit hits the fan."

"Could we phase the city somewhere else?" Murphy asked.

"It' too dangerous to move something this big toward another location" Lilith admitted "We could accidently ram this city into a mountain and kill everyone onboard. Definitely not worth the risk."

"Plus we're too low on Eridium to supercharge our phase powers and warp the city somewhere else" Erick added.

"And that won't stop the ship from following us. Guess evacuation is the best option" Murphy shrugged. The three ran toward the center of town near the Roland statue and waited for everyone to gather around the city. After a few short hours, everyone, including the other Vault Hunters with the exception to Ari, A.N.N, and Montayva gathered around the statue. People flooded town square and yelled with concern, confused about what was going on. Lilith and the Vault Hunters stood in the middle of the large cluster of civilians. Lilith raised her hands to quiet the rabble.

"Listen up" Lilith spoke loud enough for everyone to hear "We've suffered a communications blackout in Sanctuary. It's probably nothing but we believe Hyperion may have hacked the Echonet and cut us off from the rest of the planet. Until this matter is resolved, I'll phase us to Freedom City. Moxxi will provide us with free housing for the time being. You will all remain there until this matter is resolved. We will try and settle the issue as quickly as possible" the town's rumbles slowly began growing again when Lilith finished her announcement.

"This is making me nervous man" Mordecai whispered to Axton.

"It's probably nothing. Might be sunspots, a busted satellite dish, or something stupid like that" Axton said, trying to ease the Hunter's nerves.

"I hope you're right" Maya prayed it was something simple but she remained suspicious. Static slowly came through the communicator and Ari could be heard.

"Ari, is that you?" Erick queried.

"Yes big brother" she answered "A.N.N and I have restored short range communications around the town but we still can't get a hold of Brick or anyone else outside the city limits."

"We'll keep trudging on. We should have things wrapped up in a couple of hours" A.N.N assured.

"Do you know what caused the interference?" Murphy pressed on.

"No but it seems as if someone hijacked the frequency. I'm not 100% sure where it's coming from or who is doing this but we'll work on it" A.N.N admitted.

"Forget it!" Lilith yelled "We shouldn't stick around for long. Whatever's causing this might be on their way here."

"Ari, bring A.N.N with you and meet us here in the center of town" Murphy instructed the youngest Siren.

"Okay, just gotta gather some things and I'll be there in a flash" Ari spoke through the Echo.

"Okay everyone" Lilith spoke loudly so the townsfolk could hear her "Gather around and I… and I'll…" she stammered for a couple of seconds before collapsing on her knees.

"Lilith!" Murphy rushed over to Lilith's position "What's the matter?"

"I feel weak…I…I can't move" she could barely speak. Maya fell forward but Axton caught her.

"Easy there! I got you" Axton looped her arm over his shoulder and helped her stand up.

"What's going on? I feel so drained" Maya breathed heavily as she struggled to speak.

"Guys, something's wrong with Ari" A.N.N spoke through the Echo "She says she feels weak. Like something is sapping her strength away."

"But that means…" Murphy started but Erick cut him off.

"Damn it, he's here!" Erick came to the realization of what was going on "Murph, we need to get these people out of here, now!"

"Can you phase us out of here?" Murphy asked as he scooped Lilith up in his arms.

"I've never phased this many people from one location to another but I'll give it a…" Erick paused when he saw a giant ship float over the outskirts of Sanctuary. It was the Hyperion flagship, Pegasus. Jet Loaders began pouring out of the docking bay doors on the sides of the ship and the machines circled around the city.

"Hi kids, papa's home!" said an eerie yet familiar voice.

"Johnson!" Murphy exclaimed as he recognized the voice through the Echo.

"Correct, give this man a prize! For guessing the correct answer, you've earned a one way trip to OBLIVION!" Johnson threatened menacingly.

"You're not gonna win this ass-hat!" Erick shouted "Your weapons can't breach the city and ramming that ship into it is just gonna kill you!"

"Wow, I've never really placed much thought into that" Johnson said sarcastically "I might not be able to break into your so-called impenetrable fortress but IT can!"

"IT?" Murphy asked.

"That's right you tin fuck, IT!" Johnson said gleefully "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, the moment we've all been waiting for! Allow me the honor of reintroducing our old friend, all the way from the brink of annihilation. Pimped out with the most advanced Eridian weaponry in the six galaxies by the Hyperion science and weapon's division, he is the breathing definition of hell on Pandora. He is the BNK-3R version 2.0!" as Johnson made his announcement, a giant flying machine emerged from the top of the ship and digistructed large amounts of fire power from the front and the lower areas of its mechanic form. It had a large glowing red eye in the front and center of the flying machine. It let out a mechanical roar and set its sights on the center of town.

"The Bunker?!" Axton yelled in disbelief. Years ago, the second group of Vault Hunters battled the Bunker outside of Control Core Angel during their conflict with Handsome Jack. It was originally created by Jack himself to guard his daughter, Angel, until she finished charging the Vault Key. With some aid from the Slabs and a lucky shot from Zero, they were able to destroy Jack's creation with little trouble. Now it had returned, stronger than ever and this time they wouldn't have Brick's crew to back them up.

"Yep, and with a few new tricks I programmed into him" Johnson bragged "Bunker, commence teleportation protocols" he ordered.

"Understood" said the Bunker. The machine disappeared in a digital flash and reappeared in Sanctuary, warping past the shield. The townspeople panicked and stampeded all across the city, leaving the Vault Hunters and the few Crimson Raider guards all alone.

"Now blow the shield generator" Johnson ordered. The Bunker turned toward the giant metal structure just outside of Scooter's workshop and began charging the giant laser on the undercarriage of the machine.

"Open fire on that metal bastard before he destroys the shield generator!" Axton demanded. Zero, Salvador, Mordecai, Gaige, and Erick fired their weapons at the metal menace while Murphy and Axton tended to the Siren's condition. This proved useless however as the bullets bounced off of him as if it were nothing. The Bunker was protected by a reflector shield, nothing could penetrate through the barrier. The machine fired its laser and destroyed the generator. Smoke and electricity emanated from the blast zone. The shield around the city fell and troops and Loaders dropped from the ship into the city. They began firing into the crowds of civilians without hesitation or remorse.

"Shit! We have to stop this now!" Erick fired large volts of electricity into a crowd of Hyperion troops and Loaders, frying them and turning them to ashes. Mordecai and Zero pulled out their pistols and joined Erick in killing Hyperion soldiers. Salvador fired his two assault rifles into a crowd of Loaders to save civilians caught in their cross hairs. Gaige and DT fired into the sky at attacking Jet Loaders. Junior flew off Mordecai's shoulder and tore open Hyperion soldier's with his talons and his razor sharp beak.

"What the hell? How are your powers still working?" Johnson observed what was going on through the cameras on his ship and the live feed from his Loaders, now built to withstand the electrical interference generated from Erick's being.

"Your toys won't drain me Johnson. I'm immune!" Erick explained as he saved a child from a Badass Loader using hot plasma from his hands.

"Interesting, the lab boys would kill for the chance to examine your corpse" Johnson was intrigued on how Erick was unaffected by his energy draining device "Bunker, kill the Vault Hunters" he ordered his killing machine. The Bunker fired a barrage of missiles near the concentrated area surrounding the Vault Hunters. Erick quickly phased them out of harm's way and warped his friends just outside of Zed's. The missiles landed a direct hit on the Roland statue, completely decimating the memorial to the fallen leader. Lilith saw it from afar and flew into a fiery rage.

"Bastard, I'll murder all of you!" Lilith jumped out of Murphy's arms and fired her Hellfire SMG at some nearby troopers.

"Lilith, stop!" Murphy charged in next to the Siren and protected her from her attackers. He activated Riot Mode and protected her with his Riot Shield. Lilith and Murphy's bullets exited the shield and killed off the soldiers, buying them some time for a breather. The shield disappeared and Lilith collapsed on her knees and wept, upset she failed so many innocent lives and greatly distraught for what happened. She slammed her fist on the ground several times as her emotions consumed her. Murphy kneeled next to the Siren and wrapped her arms around her. The troops, the Bunker, and the Pegasus were preoccupied with fighting off the nearby Lance men and were unable to deal with the Vault Hunters at the time. This gave them time to get their bearings back.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm here" Murphy comforted Lilith as she continued crying.

"I failed them, Jason. I failed him" she sobbed as she buried her face in his metal chest.

"No you didn't, you did everything you could" Murphy stood back up and carried her gently in his arms.

"How do we stop this metal bastard?" Axton butted in the conversation "We're outmanned, outgunned, and the Sirens are weak."

"I can feel their energy being absorbed by a device nearby. It's not in the ship but it's somewhere floating in the sky" Erick could somehow sense where the energy was.

"My suit's sensors are picking something up" Murphy's visor lit up red as he too senses where the Siren's lost energy was being stored "It's inside the Bunker!"

"If we kill it, we may be able to restore our lost energy" Maya suggested.

"Any suggestions on how we do that? Metal shit's shields are impenetrable" Mordecai pointed out The Bunker's reflector shields.

"Erick's sniper could penetrate the shield. It was crafted just for a situation like this" Gaige proposed.

"That's right! The Melon Popper should break through and injure it. Maybe take out it's shields with a lucky shot" Erick pulled out his sniper rifle from over his shoulder "It's gonna take one hell of a lucky shot."

"Hand me your rifle/ I have killed it once before/ I'll do it again" Zero demanded Erick hand him the sniper. The Brother would not put up with an argument, especially in such a strenuous situation like this. He threw the sniper at Zero and he caught it with his hand.

"Give it your best Zero, we're counting on you" Erick wished the Assassin luck. Zero ran near one of the buildings and climbed up the roof.

"Even if we take out the Bunker, we'll still need air support to deal with the Pegasus" Axton added.

"I'll take care of that" Ari spoke meekly through the Echo "A.N.N and I will try to clear up communications and call Brick for help."

"Are you crazy?" Erick asked, concerned for his sister's condition "You're powerless and this whole place is going up in flames."

"If we don't do this, innocent people will die" A.N.N said, defending Ari's decision "I'll call in some Lance troops to defend our position. Keep the Bunker off of us a while longer."

"Son of a bitch, okay" Erick said begrudgingly "Just stay safe, sis."

"I will" Ari promised.

"While she does that, Ace and I will deal with the Bunker. We'll keep his attention on us. The rest of you protect the civvies" Murphy ordered.

"What about Lilith and Maya? Their still too weak to use their Siren powers" Axton said, knowing they would be of little aid to them.

"We can still hold a gun, Axton. We'll help you protect the civilians" Maya pulled out her Greed pistol and walked on her own power again "If you have any objections with us helping you, shove it! I don't want to hear it."

"Maya's right, we can still put up a fight" Lilith calmed herself down and planed her boots on the ground, standing by herself without Murphy's help. Murphy was hesitant of letting them fight in their condition but with the situation as dire as it is, they needed all the help they could get.

"Alright" Murphy said, coming to terms that he could not change their minds "Stay close to the others. We can't risk losing you. Once Zero takes out the Bunker's shields and we kill it, go all out."

"Okay, be careful Jason" Lilith pleaded.

"I promise" Murphy assured. The group separated and played their roles.


	50. Chapter 49-Bye Bye Babylon: Part 2

Lilith and the others were fighting off the army of Hyperion troops while Murphy and Erick dealt with the newly rebuilt Bunker. Across the edge of the city, Crimson Raider guards were protecting an orphanage from War Loader assaults and giving the people inside the chance to escape. Unfortunately, the troops were cut down by a Badass Loader using its heavy cannons. The machine approached the entrance and discovered a group of kids inside the building.

"Bandit scum detected. Executing order 66" the Loader prepared itself to murder the children as it charged its cannons again. Before it could carry out its main directive, the machine and its comrades were mowed down by a tidal wave of assault rifle rounds coming from their right. The machines fell flat on their faces and Salvador appeared near the entrance, running toward the Badass Loader with his two rifles firing. He emptied both rifle clips and turned the machine into scrap metal. Salvador turned toward the entrance to see if everyone was alright.

"Estas bien, chicos?" asked the Gunzerker. The kids screamed and pointed at Salvador "Que paso?"

"A short hairy monster has come to eat us!" yelled the kids as they quivered in fear. Salvador didn't take kindly to the insults of his appearance and diminutive stature but he remained composed due to the situation surrounding Sanctuary. Maya ran toward Salvador to see if she could assist him.

"Everything okay here?" Maya asked. She noticed the kids screaming in terror "Why are they screaming? Did something happen?"

"Ellos piensan que soy un monstro" Salvador explained to Maya and the Siren laughed a bit.

"It's okay kids. He's one of the good guys" Maya tried to calm the kids down but they still didn't trust her.

"He wants to gobble us up for breakfast. We're not going near him" said one of the older children.

"He's here to help you, not eat you" Maya kneeled over to meet the kids at eye level "I know he's pretty ugly and very scary looking but he won't hurt you" she admitted.

"Hey! I take offence to that" Salvador growled at Maya for making fun of his looks. Maya reached out toward the kids as a sign of good faith and to follow her safely through all the chaos.

"I know your all frightened but it's too dangerous for you to stay here. Stick close to me and I promise we'll make it out of this mess alive" Maya assured. They were hesitant at first but eventually the kids warmed up to her and listened. One of the younger children grabbed Maya's hand tightly and both began walking outside with the other kids following suit. As they made their way outside the orphanage, a giant Constructor and a large group of War Loaders fell from the Pegasus and landed in front of Maya and Salvador.

"This got bad" Salvador yelped as the Constructor pulled out lasers and missiles from its interior, directing them toward the Vault Hunters and the children.

"Stay behind me!" Maya ordered the kids and Salvador to get back. She outstretched her arm in an attempt to phase-lock the machines. Unfortunately, the Bunker was still active and draining the Sirens of their energy, making it impossible for her to use her powers "Damn it! I'm still too weak!" she exclaimed in frustration. The Loaders and the Constructor prepared to open fire on the outnumbered Vault Hunters until the sound of a gruff voice garnered their attention.

"Hey you buckets of bolts! Pick on someone your own size!" Axton shouted, tossing his two Sabre Turrets on the ground. The guns appeared and unleashed a hail of bullets and rockets into the crowd of machines, tearing them apart piece by piece.

"Don't hog all the action, let DT and I get a couple of shots in" Gaige joined in and fired her Vladof pistol at the Loaders while DT ripped apart the Constructor with thermal sonic lasers and Digistruct claws. Salvador took out the stragglers while Maya watched over the children. After the area was cleared of all hostiles, Axton and Gaige marched toward Maya and Salvador

"Are you out of your goddamned mind? What the hell were you trying to pull, Maya? You know you can't use your powers" Axton scolded Maya for her recklessness.

"I had to save these kids, Axton. What was I supposed to do, just sit back and let them get killed?" Maya glared at the Commando.

"Stop being such a hard ass, Axton. She can handle herself and those kids needed her help. I would have done the same to in her shoes" Gaige backed Maya in her decision.

"Yeah but she doesn't have a giant robot protecting her from harm" Axton pointed out

"Give her a break, amigo. She meant well" Salvador defended Maya as well, leaving Axton as the odd one out.

"Thank you guys" Maya appreciated their thoughts in the matter "If you have a problem with me helping these people, Axton, then just spill it. Otherwise, stay out of my way and let me do my job. I'm not just gonna stand here and allow Hyperion to take any more lives. You understand?"

"Look, I'm not saying you can't help, Maya. I'm saying you need to be more careful" Axton pleaded "Next time, Sal, Gaige, and I might not be there to rescue you. Try to play it smart, use cover, keep your distance, and stick close to us. You do that, we'll make it out of this in one piece, alright?"

"Okay, I'll do things your way" Maya sighed "I never knew you cared so much" she teased.

"Don't get any ideas. I still think you're an annoying nag with an attitude problem" Axton scoffed at her inclination that he had a thing for her.

"But that's what you love best about me, you immature hot head" Maya insulted playfully.

"Dios mio, this mushy crap is killing me" Salvador gagged and the kids joined in "Quit flirting and let's blow shit up."

"Shut up!" both yelled simultaneously at Salvador. Both walked away and turned their backs on Salvador.

"How rude" Salvador grumbled

"If they weren't at one another throats all the time, they would've made a happy couple" Gaige giggled

"Come on niños, let's find you somewhere safe to hide until this mess blows over" Salvador asked the orphans politely. The kids followed the Vault Hunters to locate a safe area.

Meanwhile on the other side of Sanctuary, Lilith and Mordecai were fighting off Hyperion troopers while directing citizens inside the ship. The city was built as a mining ship to harvest minerals from the Caustic Caverns during Dahl's occupation of Pandora. The inside of the ship was now used as a fortified safe house for Sanctuary's citizens if they were ever attacked by an outside presence, it was the last resort if the people were unable to escape the city safely.

"The troops are attacking, get inside the safe house!" Lilith hollered over the sound of her weapon's fire.

"We ain't got all day folks, hurry up already!" Mordecai urged as he fired his pistol into the domes of a couple of approaching enemy henchman. Junior flew around the area and killed the soldiers using his talons and his beak. He dive bombed into a crowd of Hyperion troops and killed them all in a matter of minutes. After he was finished, he perched himself on Mordecai's shoulders to rest a minute.

"Lil, how you feeling?" Mordecai turned toward the weakened Siren and noticed she was growing weaker by the second. She looked paler than normal and she was breathing heavily.

"Powerless" she admitted as she took another deep breath "I'm not a fan of this in the trenches type of warfare, Mordecai. If I could, I would just run up and burn these bastards with a snap of my fingers."

"We just have to tough this out a bit longer until Ari and A.N.N calls for Brick and the Slabs" Mordecai said as he directed the crowd into the tunnels.

"Or until Jason, Erick and Zero can take down the Bunker" Lilith said with a hint of concern.

"Murphy's fine Lil, don't worry about him" Mordecai assured and she smiled slightly.

"I know, it's just that I feel so useless. I just wish I could do more to help in the fight them instead of directing traffic like a cop" Lilith said meekly.

"Now you know how we feel" Mordecai joked "I'll admit, it's kinda hard seeing you like this but you're doing one hell of a job saving these folks, Lil. Powers or no powers, you can still kick these Hyperion shit bags around the planet like you've always done."

"Thanks for the pep talk, coach" she appreciated his compliment and felt slightly better about herself. Ari's voice came through the Echo to let Lilith know of her progress.

"Lilith, I have some good news for you" Ari said happily "We've just made contact with Brick in the Nexus. The connection's still a bit fuzzy but you should be able to communicate with him from here."

"He wants to speak with you right away. We'll maintain the frequency for as long as possible" A.N.N answered through the Echo.

"Good, put him through" Lilith ordered.

"Lilith, Mordecai, still alive and kicking?" Brick's voice came through.

"We're still alive, buddy" Mordecai spoke.

"You have no idea how glad I am to hear your voice again" Lilith said with relief.

"What the hell is going on out there? Something's been shut me out of the Echonet every time I tried calling ya?" Brick's voice crackled with static.

"It's Johnson! He's here, Brick! Son of a bitch broke through our defenses and is attacking Sanctuary. We've suffered heavy casualties and we can't hold out much longer" Lilith informed the Berserker on the situation "How long until the Slabs arrive in Sanctuary."

"My boys will be there in three hours, just stay alive until we get there" Brick said quickly, worried he would get cut off at any second.

"We won't last one hour, man! We need you here now!" Mordecai yelled but he heard nothing but static "Brick, can you still hear us? Damn it, we've been cut off again."

"Sorry, the signal's gone" Ari apologized.

"I'll try to get him back on the horn. I pray he makes it in time to save us" A.N.N hoped.

"I can't believe I'm saying this but Brick's our only shot at surviving this" Mordecai acknowledged his giant friend and his bandit army was the one chance they had in fending off this assault. The Bunker fired into a nearby plaza, engulfing the region with rocket fire and laser cannons. Lilith looked on from a distance, helplessly watching as she saw good men and women murdered in an act of senseless violence. Her experiences on Pandora may have hardened her but she still could never fully cope with the loss of so many lives.

"This isn't fair, Mordecai. These are innocent people just trying to make a life for themselves here not vicious savages like Hyperion believes them to be. They don't deserve this" Lilith said guiltily, feeling partially responsible for their deaths "It's times like this when I realize how sickening war can be."

"War's when both sides are fighting each other for whatever stupid reason, not when soldiers callously murder unarmed women and children for kicks. This isn't a war, this is mass genocide" Mordecai grinded his teeth in anger as he observed the horrific acts going on around Sanctuary. Mordecai felt a pang of sorrow and rage for every life taken by Hyperion "We'll make that bastard pay for what he's done. I swear it" Mordecai gripped his pistol as tight as he could as he thought of how he would make Johnson suffer for his actions today.

"Jason, please be careful" Lilith prayed for his safe return and his success against the Bunker. Near the center of town, Zero was trying to find a safe spot to snipe the Bunker while Murphy and Erick were keeping it occupied. Erick was firing hot plasma and electricity at the Bunker and the surrounding troops. Murphy stood by his side, firing every ounce of fire power he had at the metal menace but the Bunker deflected it with ease. Johnson was heard laughing through the Echo.

"This is perfect! I'm gonna kill you Crimson retards and become god of the universe all in one day. I should have brought my camera for the occasion, the footage would've made a good record for the history books to remember how my reign began" Johnson laughed madly.

"My god man, does he ever shut up?" Erick said with annoyance as he fried approaching troops with his powers.

"He never does. He just rants on and on like it was going out of style" Murphy quipped, trying to make light of a dangerous predicament. The Bunker aimed his weapons at Murphy and Erick.

"Charging laser cannons" said the machine in a monotone voice. He fired his laser at Murphy and Erick, the Enforcer flew out of the lasers' path but Erick was too slow to avoid it. The shockwave from the blast sent him hurling toward a wall. His body slammed into the structure and he bounced off, falling on the ground like a ragdoll.

"Ace!" Murphy flew over to Erick's position and killed off the troops surrounding him with his Tri-Grenade Launcher. Blood and shrapnel blanketed the region as an explosion sent dozens flying and tore them to shreds. The Bunker teleported more Loaders toward Erick's position by digistructing them with its glowing red eye. Murphy noticed the machines and ran toward Erick's position, protecting him with his Riot Shield. The Loaders and the Bunker fired their weapons but Murphy was able to protect himself and Erick from the incoming fire.

"Thanks for the save, Murph" Erick picked himself up and fired electric bolts at the incoming Loader forces.

"Zero, are you in position? We need you to take the shot now! If you don't, we're gonna bite the dust" Murphy explained.

"Give me a minute/ I have the Bunker in sight/ Keep our guests busy" Zero answered through the Echo on a nearby rooftop, ready to snipe the Bunker with Erick's rifle, aiming it carefully near the shield generator inside the machine. He used the roof as a vantage point, giving himself tactical superiority over his foes on the battlefield. Zero's visor allowed him to see what others could not as it was built with technologies which gave him the details of his targets' anatomy and of their weaknesses. As he prepared to squeeze the trigger, a small pack of Hyperion soldiers located his position and flew onto the roof as fire emitted from the soles of their boots. "Jet packs, why am I not surprised?" Zero said sarcastically as they surrounded his position.

"Die criminal!" the soldiers opened fire but Zero disappeared in a matter of moments "Where did he go?" the soldier asked, curiously scratching his helmet. Zero reappeared and decapitated him with his sword, a geyser of blood erupted from his neck and covered Zero's sneaking suit.

"I'll give you one chance/Leave now or you will all die/ That's a guarantee" Zero warned as he pointed his sword toward the crowd. The crowd did not heed his warning and charged in head first. Zero charged into the crowd and sliced them apart with his blade. He cut off the arm of the soldier on his left and stabbed another on his right. Zero hacked and slashed away as Murphy and Erick continued to deal with the Loaders and the Bunker, still focused on killing the two. Eventually, the Riot Shield gave out and bullets came through.

"Argh!" Erick screamed as a bullet entered his right side. He pressed his hand on the wound to slow the bleeding. Another bullet grazed the side of Murphy's helmet and bounced off.

"Too close for comfort" Murphy dodged another bullet and fired his thermal lasers at the Loaders while Erick caught his breath. The armor's markings glowed a shade of purple and energy surged through both Erick and Murphy. Erick felt his powers reaching maximum while Murphy's Riot Shield restored itself, protecting them once more.

"What was that?" Erick's body was enveloped in lightning and the electricity surged through his eyes.

"Suit must be reacting to your presence Ace. It's increasing our capabilities like Tannis said" Murphy recalled how his suit's powers grew when he was in proximity to Erick, increasing the Brother's wide range of powers in return. Murphy fired his Heavy Metal assault rifle at the Loaders in front while his shoulder mounted weapons tore through the forces trying to flank him. Erick watched his back and fried the soldiers around them. Murphy's shield began releasing waves of pulse energy around their position, melting the Loaders. The Bunker remained unharmed however as the reflector shield repelled all assaults.

"Man, we are awesome!" Erick boasted as Murphy's shield killed off more troops and shrouded the Enforcer and the Brother with protection "But it's still not enough. We need to kill this tin can before we're done for."

"You know that trick you used on Gilgamesh?" Murphy asked as the Bunker charged its laser cannons again.

"Yeah" Erick answered.

"Use it again and we may be able to bust the Bunker" Murphy explained.

"No prob, with the power boost from your armor, I should be able to form a storm cloud and blast him" Erick lifted his arms in the air and threw them downward. The sky around the Bunker grew dark with storm clouds and lightning from the sky struck the Bunker. The shields were able to withstand Erick's attack and the machine shrugged it off.

"Holy crap! Now that is friggin awesome!" Johnson yelled, impressed by Erick's display of power "But no dice kid, nothing can break through my Bunker's shield. It's impregnable."

"Great, that's perfect" Erick huffed and fell on one knee.

"Ace, can you do it again?" Murphy asked while firing all his weapons at the Bunker.

"I'm out of juice Murph, I'm done" Erick said weakly "How long can your shield maintain itself?"

"My shield can't withstand another barrage. Is there a way to recharge you powers?"

"Electricity, I need to absorb enough to jump start my powers."

"Trust me kid, even with a jump start, my Bunker will still wipe the mat with your carcass and I'm gonna laugh" Johnson bragged again "Now finish them off!"

"Understood" the Bunker said, charging the large laser cannon on its undercarriage, ready to end Murphy and Erick. But before it could fire a shot off, a sniper shot penetrated through its shield, pierced through his armor, destroyed the shield generator, exited out of the Bunker's side and dazing the machine for a few seconds. The reflector shield came down, leaving the Bunker vulnerable to attack at last. Zero had dealt with his aggressors and gave Erick and Murphy the chance to attack.

"Time to fall again by my hands, Bunker" Zero prepared to fire again but the Bunker fired a barrage of missiles at the Assassin, obliterating his position.

"Zero!" Murphy and Erick exclaimed as they had feared they had lost him.

"That takes care of the ninja, now time to die suckers!" Johnson said menacingly "Bunker, finish the job" the Bunker prepared to fire every ounce of firepower toward Murphy and Erick. Erick believed this to be the end but Murphy would not give up so easily. He charged his Tesla Gauntlet and turned toward Erick.

"Ace, I got a bad idea that might just work" Murphy started "I'll recharge you by overcharging my gauntlet with enough electricity to power a city. There are two possible outcomes, one is it will instill you with enough energy to destroy the Bunker or I'll burn out my suit's systems and explode like a super nova, killing us both."

"We're low on options, Murph. We're dead if we stand here and do nothing. I'll take the risk" Erick widened his stance and prepared himself for better or worse.

"Okay Ace, if you have any prayers, say them now" Murphy lifted his hand in the air and lightning slowly discharged from it. The Bunker's weapons were glowing red and his missiles primed as he stared the pair down. Erick closed his eyes and recited a haiku which calmed him in the past.

"Clouds leaving the sky

A new friendship has been forged

By light of the sun."

"Get ready, Ace!"


	51. Chapter 50-Bye Bye Babylon: Part 3

Murphy placed his supercharged hand on Erick's shoulder and an explosion of electricity detonated from the Brother, pushing Murphy back slightly. Erick was surrounded by lightning formed in the shape of devil wings. It crackled through the air as it surged through him. He was in an entranced state for several seconds but he finally came to his senses.

"YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Erick screamed at the top of his lungs as power overflowed through him. He threw his arms in a downward motion and lightning fell from the sky once more, striking the now vulnerable Bunker.

"Error! System overload!" yelled the Bunker. It could not withstand the punishment from the attack and slowly began sparking from the cracks in its armor. Its weapons and eye slowly detonated and fire emanated from the holes left behind. The machine floated in the air for a couple of seconds before finally crash landing on the ground, shutting down as it fell with a thud. Erick fell on his back, completely drained after such a phenomenal feat of pure power. Murphy's suit suffered an overload after using so much energy to recharge Erick. He exited Riot Mode and his shield faded away. With the Bunker's demise, the Sirens powers returned and they could now fight with all their might. Near the outskirts of Sanctuary, Lilith set large groups of men on fire while Maya phase-locked another group, killing them in clusters while the other Vault Hunters dealt with the rest.

"Ace, we did it" Murphy grabbed Erick and picked him up, looping his robotic arm over his shoulder "Let me give you a hand."

"Thanks Murph" Erick said gratefully.

"For what? I should be thanking you Ace. You just saved us."

"Because you gave me the energy I needed to pull it off. I'd be dead if not for you. God, my ribs are killing me" Erick groaned as he placed his hand on his wound.

"You'll be fine. Zed should patch you up in no time" Murphy assured.

"Ah, such a wonderful moment. How disgusting" Johnson mocked "I'm done fucking around, you may have busted my Bunker but I still have this ship and my men to end you. Finish those bastards off now!" Murphy and Erick were surrounded by a large group of Loaders with all their weapons primed to kill them. The ship itself prepared to bombard the area they stood on. Murphy and Erick hid behind a house and used the building for cover.

"We're in trouble guys, we could use some backup" Murphy shouted into his Echo but nothing could get through. Johnson had finally jammed all short wave radio transmissions with the others in Sanctuary "We're on our own, shit!"

"We're screwed Murph, I'm out of energy" Erick admitted glumly.

"My Riot Mode is out of the question as well, I used up everything I had to recharge you" Murphy said, feeling fatigued.

"Well, we had one hell of a run Murph" Erick pulled out his Mjolnir and loaded it up. If he was going to die, Erick was gonna go out with a fight.

"We're not dying Ace, we'll make it through this. I promise. It's not over till it's over" Murphy assured but he believed it to be the end as well. The end seemed inevitable for them, they were low on ammo, outmanned, outgunned , and low on power. Murphy pulled out his shotgun and pumped it. The two readied themselves for the incoming hail of bullets that were about to shower them as they jumped out of cover.

"Suck it!" Erick yelled but before he could get his shot off, chain gun rounds rained from the sky, pelting the enemies around the building. Loaders and Constructors covered in bandit markings fell from the rooftops, attacking Hyperion personnel. The survivors were either spontaneously detonated by a purple shimmer of light or stabbed in the neck with Kunai knives. Brick and the Slabs had arrived with aerial reinforcements. They attacked the Jet Loaders around Sanctuary and bombarded the Pegasus, damaging the ships weapons. Out of nowhere, Zero appeared on top of the rubble created by the Bunker when it tried killing them. The Assassin was completely unscathed holding his sword in one hand and Erick's sniper in the other. Montayva appeared next to Murphy and Erick as she emerged from a flash of glowing purple light.

"Monty? I thought you were in Freedom City, how did you get here?" Erick asked in disbelief.

"I was in Freedom City until I eavesdropped on Lilith when she was talking to Brick on her Echo. I heard the whole thing after Ari cleared up the air waves. I couldn't just stand idly by while my friends were in danger" Montayva started "I had to do something so I used all of my power to phase Brick's crew from the Nexus all the way to Sanctuary" she wiped the sweat from her brow with her forearm.

"Where's your child?" Erick asked.

"I placed her in Moxxi's care for the time being" Montayva informed.

"Thank god you arrived in time" Murphy thanked Montayva for her untimely rescue and she smiled at his gratitude. He turned toward Zero to speak with the Assassin "I'm glad you made it, Zero. We thought you were done for. Glad Montayva was here to phase you out of danger."

"Actually, I didn't do anything to save Zero" Montayva admitted.

"Then how did you survive that" Erick asked curiously.

"Trade secret" Zero chuckled. Erick wanted to ask him again but he stopped himself, knowing what Zero would say.

"Whatever" Erick shrugged "Let's meet up with the others" Erick paused for a second as he envisioned Mordecai's reaction toward Montayva's presence "How the hell am I gonna explain this to Mordy? He's gonna be so pissed when he sees you here."

"I'll deal with that later. Right now, he needs our help" Montayva added.

"Okay, let's head out" Murphy ordered. Montayva gathered whatever energy she had and phased them near the location of the others to provide aid. Meanwhile in the Crimson Raider HQ, the soldiers guarded the entrance from incoming Hyperion troops to give Ari and A.N.N time to open communications again. They performed their duties admirably and successfully. Suddenly out of nowhere, Johnson reappeared in a flash of digital light and killed off the troops using only his Eridian Broad Sword, cutting them to shreds with the powerful and ancient weapon.

"Amateurs. Why the Vault Hunters bothered sparing your lives is beyond my comprehension" Johnson scoffed "No wonder Knoxx wanted to off himself so badly. Now enough of the foreplay, time to get what I came here for" Johnson calmly walked into the empty HQ, holding a control collar in his right palm. Up in the control room, Ari and A.N.N watched Brick's aerial forces tear through Hyperion with ease. Their hard work in breaking the interference was vital in Sanctuary's salvation but it had returned at the most inopportune time. Both were left in the dark and had no knowledge of who was coming for them.

"Brick's timing is impeccable" Ari said as she punched some numbers in the computer "This interference is making it hard to manage the troops and checking on their status. I hope Erick and the others made it out okay."

"Me too sweetie" A.N.N shared her concerns, she felt completely blind about the situation "Let's try opening some back channels and see if we can form communications with Brick or the other Vault Hunters… Ari, watch out!" she warned the youngest Siren but it was too late, Johnson had already slapped the collar around Ari's neck. She fell on her knees as her powers began waning and she slowly lost control of her body.

"A.N.N, help me" she begged as the collar gripped tighter around her neck.

"Shut up skank!" Johnson kicked Ari in her side and she coughed up blood "Finally, the final pieces of the puzzle are in my grasp. You can feel the anticipation in the air, it's so invigorating!"

"Leave her alone you animal or you will pay dearly for harming her" A.N.N warned although she was helpless to stop him.

"Who's gonna stop me, you? The Vault Hunters? Ha! You're cut off from your pals and you can't do shit to me you computerized bitch" Johnson laughed at A.N.N's threat "They're too busy with my troops on the far side of town, they'll never make it in time to save her or save you" Johnson inserted a hacking tool into the computer and numbers popped into the screen "Now give me what I want!" Johnson demanded as he hacked inside A.N.N's systems. She struggled desperately to force him out of her computerized mainframe but he breached through every security lock, every firewall, and her reverse hack attempts.

"I… won't… let you…" A.N.N stammered, feeling his influence crack open her mind. Johnson finally hacked into the file containing the location of the Champion's Vault. He smiled with anticipation as he finally grew close to achieving his goal.

"You're putting up one hell of a fight. Good, I like my women rough" Johnson said sadistically "Finally, the moment of truth" Johnson couldn't hold in the excitement "Code locked huh? Child's play for someone who understands the Eridian language" Johnson typed in the codes and finally broke through, the location began popping up on the screen. He laughed gleefully when he saw where it was "Aegrus, the most powerful weapons in the universe are hidden deep in the savage lands! I'll finally get what I deserve. Now let's locate its exact position and I'll…" before could finish, the map of the area just disappeared. A.N.N deleted the file to keep Johnson from finding but in doing so she started the self-termination subroutines in her programming, slowly shutting down her systems.

"Yeah, you'll get what you deserve" A.N.N laughed at Johnson. His anger reached a new high, he couldn't believe he was so close to getting what he wanted and it just disappeared in a flash. He was ready to lose his mind but he regained composure.

"It doesn't matter" Johnson muttered "I know it's somewhere in the savage lands, narrowing down my search. I still win regardless" Johnson averted his attention to the Vault Key floating in the energy field on the far right. He shot the emitter and the key fell right into his hand "I've waited for this moment for so long. The universe will be mine alone to command, to control" Johnson pulled Ari by her long white hair with his free hand and pulled her up "Come on bitch, I don't have all day."

"Let me go!" Ari kicked Johnson in the groin and he bent over slightly as the pain started. This only further enraged the Hyperion Commander. He slammed her head on the desk and she fell unconscious to the ground.

"Ari!" A.N.N yelled, struggling to keep herself from fading into nonexistence.

"Don't worry, she's alive for the moment. Can't say the same for you" Johnson noticed how A.N.N's holographic figure flickered in and out of existence. He scooped the unconscious Siren in his arms "Later" he said mockingly as he teleported back to his ship to drop off Ari and the key. Back in the center of town, the Pegasus suffered minor damage and the Slabs were laying down heavy fire on the Loader aerial forces and the trooper ground units. The troops eventually used their jet packs and flew back into the ship. The Loader forces retreated and entered through the hangar bay doors. Murphy and the others gathered around the town square, Brick joined in as he landed his buzzard near the center and hoped out of it to greet the others.

"What up Mordy?" Brick bellowed as he patted Mordecai on the back

"Damn your a sight for sore eyes Brick, but how did you get here so fast?" Mordecai wondered, remembering Brick told him it would take hours for him to arrive, not minutes.

"Your girl phased us here" Brick pointed toward Montayva. Mordecai followed his finger and noticed Montayva next to Erick. He flipped the moment he saw her in Sanctuary.

"What the hell are you doing here Monty? I told you to stay with our girl in Freedom City!" Mordecai snapped angrily at Montayva but she would have none of it. She stepped forward and slapped him across his face as hard as she could to knock sense into him. Junior flew off Mordecai and perched himself on Zero to give the two space "Damn it! What was that for?"

"You ungrateful bastard!" Montayva screamed at him "I'm here to protect you, Mordecai. If you even thought for a second that I was gonna allow the father of my child to be murdered then you're sadly mistaken!"

"Shit, kitty grew fangs" Axton laughed. He remembered how docile she was when she first came to Pandora, now she was as hard headed as everyone else. The trait tends to rub off on people after a while he thought to himself.

"Axton, I think you should back off from this one unless you want to end up a stain on the floor" Maya warned Axton not to incite an already enraged Montayva.

"I heard everything through the Echo, Mordecai" she continued "I knew you were in trouble. That's why I phased the Slabs here. They wouldn't have made it in time to save the city otherwise."

"She's got a point pal. You'd be mincemeat without her" Brick agreed with Montayva's decision. Mordecai grumbled for a bit but he softened and up and wrapped his arms around Montayva, closing the distance between them.

"I'm sorry, it's just I worry for your safety is all" Mordecai apologized and she accepted it. She gave him a quick kiss and held him close.

"I know but you're too overprotective of me. I can handle myself" she smiled. Mordecai laughed when she said that. She was correct as always, Mordecai had always been protective of his Siren ever since she made her way to the hostile world. In reality, he was the one who was in need of protection considering the multitude of times she had saved him.

"How's our little girl?" Mordecai asked.

"She's safely asleep in Freedom City" Montayva answered. Suddenly, Montayva pulled himself away from him and senses something was amiss.

"Monty, what's wrong?" Lilith asked, recognizing that glassy look in Montayva's eyes as a sign she's using her powers.

"Ari's gone" she said softly.

"Gone! What do you mean gone? What happened to my little sister, Monty? Tell me please!" Erick begged, fearful for what may have happened to her. Ari was his only family on Pandora and his responsibility. If she was injured or worse, he couldn't bare living with himself. Communications were still down, making it impossible to contact her from a distance.

"I don't know, Erick. I can't feel her anywhere" Montayva answered.

"Is she… is she…" Erick couldn't get his words out as the thought of Ari's death swelled in his mind.

"Erick, calm down!" Gaige placed her hands on his shoulders to ease his nerves "I'll head to the HQ and see what happened. Stay here with the others" Gaige insisted. Erick was hesitant to let Gaige go without his supervision but he nodded, showing her he would indeed stay. Gaige ran off to see if Ari was okay while the others stayed behind to aid the civilians. Murphy and Lilith walked next to Erick to comfort the Brother. Both knew what he was feeling for they feared that A.N.N was lost to them like Ari was.

"Ace, I'm…" before Murphy finished, Johnson reappeared behind Murphy and stabbed him in the back with his sword. The blade pierced through Murphy, entering his spine and exiting out of his stomach. Everyone watched in terror as they were helpless to save Murphy. Lilith entered a state of shock as blood jetted from his wound and sprayed her in the face. She couldn't believe it, it was as if she was watching history repeat itself. Roland died in a similar manner in front of her as Jack murdered him years ago, now she saw it happen again with Murphy.

"Jason!" she screamed. Johnson kicked Murphy and pulled out his blade. Murphy fell lifeless on the ground. Johnson stared at the fallen hero before lifting his head up to stare at Lilith.

"Sup bitch!" Johnson exclaimed as he flipped her off. Fire slowly flowed from Lilith's body and angel wings appeared on her back. Her rage was on full display as the fires burned violently and grew as hot as the sun. Johnson could feel her anger boil as she finally exploded in a blood fueled frenzy.

"You bastard! I'm going to fucking burn the skin from your bones! I'll send you screaming back to hell where you belong!" She rushed toward him but he disappeared right before she could lay a finger on him.

"I'd love to stay and have this dance Cinderella but the clock has finally struck midnight. It's the end for all of you!" Johnson cackled sadistically through the Echo "That takes care of priority number one, now to move on to priority two, becoming ruler of the universe."

"What are you blabbering on about now, puta?" Salvador demanded to know.

"I have everything I need to open the Champ's Vault. I have the key, the location, and the Siren!" Johnson snickered. Erick knew who he meant when he said he had a Siren in his possession. Ari was in the madman's grasp.

"You fucking piece of shit! For everything you have done and whatever harm that comes to my sister, I'll pay you back 100 hundred! No, a 1000 fold!" lightning surged violently around Erick as his anger got the better of him "I'm gonna rip open your chest and pull out your still beating black heart!" Erick was ready to phase his way into Johnson's ship but was stopped when Johnson made another announcement.

"Back off, Earth brat" Johnson mocked and Erick froze in shock the minute he mentioned his home world "That's right caveman, I know you're from that primitive rock. I promise you, if you set foot on my ship, I'll put a bullet right through her heart!" Johnson threatened.

"You wouldn't!" Erick yelled in anger.

"I will, she's easily replaceable after all. I can nab another Siren if I wanted to" Johnson laughed "Don't worry, as long as you stay out of my hair, she'll stay safe until she charges the key. After that, I'll hand her to my men and they'll decide what to do with her. They haven't had a piece of ass in years, she's a bit young but she'll make do. They really want to get their beaks wet if you know what I mean" Erick's rage slowly began building when Johnson made his statement "How about a little more salt for the open wound. After I open the Vault and destroy this world, How about a pay a visit to Earth and meet with dear old dad. I'll give'em the bad news of your untimely demise right before I kill him and everyone else you love on that cesspool you call a planet!"

"Johnson!" Erick lost control and the lightning around him detonated and he slammed his fist right through the ground. He pulled it out and his knuckles were bleeding from the cuts formed by the punch.

"Erick, Lilith, I'm so sorry" Gaige spoke through the Echo as communications slowly returned. She had heard everything that happened to Murphy and Ari from her position "He's telling the truth. Johnson has the key and the means to use it."

"A.N.N, what happened to her?" Maya asked as Lilith kneeled on the ground near Murphy's body, believing him dead. Maya felt terrible for her friend because Lilith had to relive the same loss she felt during Roland's death.

"She's here in the HQ but she's dying guys. I don't know what to do" Gaige said sorrowfully.

"Maybe I can fix her, bring her to me quickly" Erick stood back up and walked toward Murphy and Lilith. The others surrounded her and tried their best to hide their emotions. Lilith started sobbing uncontrollably as grief filled her heart. She had lost someone she loved again because of the Vault Key. As Lilith placed her hand on top of Murphy's chest, Murphy's body recoiled from her touch and he started coughing violently.

"Jason's alive!" Lilith cried as she couldn't bear to see him suffer "We need to take him to Zed's, on the double!"


	52. Chapter 51-Fallen Heroes

Sanctuary sustained heavy damage and casualties from the Assault by Hyperion. The flying city was forced to make an emergency landing over the Caustic Caverns to resupply ammo, medical equipment, and new parts for the city's shield generator. The Raider HQ remained surprisingly intact for the most part even after the assault. Erick and A.N.N were the only ones in the building. The others were tending to Murphy near Zed's clinic to see his progress. Erick was in the lobby, placing A.N.N in a black computer box to help stabilize her deteriorating condition.

"Okay, this should keep you functioning until I can fix you" Erick said as he activated the device.

"What's wrong with me? Why am I dying, Erick?" A.N.N asked with signs of weakness in her voice.

"Looks like you're suffering from rampancy" Erick surmised as he studied the monitor on the side of the box.

"Rampancy?" A.N.N wondered, not knowing what it meant.

"You see, your typical AI has a lifespan of 5 years" Erick started "When the information they have stored in their mainframes become too much for them to handle, it begins burning out their neural processors and causes them to suffer some dangerous side effects. There are two outcomes, either the information fries your brain and you suffer from psychological disorders found in humans. Things like multiple personality disorders, schizophrenia, and others similar to those. The other side effect is that the information overwhelms the AI and kills it. The latter is what you're suffering from."

"Why is this happening to me? Why haven't I died yet? I thought I was supposed to shut down immediately after the data was deleted from my memory banks"

"From what I can gather, the scientist working for that ass-hat, Holloway, built a failsafe in you. It was made to maintain your functionality for years beyond the normal life of an artificial intelligence. The failsafe however would deactivate if the information on the Champ's Vault was deleted, releasing large amounts of junk data to fry your processes. Like a kill switch but slower. Which explains why you're still operational."

"Can you fix me?" A.N.N asked.

"Yeah, it should be a simple fix. I just clear out the junk data and you'll be good as new. My Black Box should keep you in optimal condition until I can clear it out" Erick answered optimistically.

"Thank you" A.N.N said gratefully.

"It's just a good thing I made the box ahead of time before I developed Athena. Never thought it would come so soon" Erick laughed.

"Athena? You mean your AI" A.N.N remembered Erick's earlier comments about his AI after Murphy and herself arrived on Pandora.

"Bingo. I created her to assist me, kinda like you with Murph. Unfortunately, she's out of commotion until I update her software. She'll be glad to meet another fellow AI" Erick said. He began to nervously tap his finger on the table. He couldn't get what happened to Ari out of his head. Erick's little sister was in the hands of a madman, doing horrible things to her to charge the Vault Key and unlock the Champion's Vault.

"I wish I could have done something to save Ari, Erick" A.N.N said apologetically, noticing the glum look in Erick's eyes.

"You bought us time by deleting the files. That alone is enough" Erick said gratefully "I wish I knew where the damn Vault was. We should have focused on discovering its location when we still had the chance. Maybe we could have ended this before things got out of hand. Ari might still be here with us instead of imprisoned by Johnson. I swear, if he lays one hand on her, I'll rip his throat out with my claws!" Erick slammed his metal fist through the table, leaving a rather large hole in it. He pulled it out and gripped it, forming a fist.

"Maybe there's still hope in finding the Vault before he does" A.N.N added.

"What do you mean? Tell me please! My little sister needs me!" Erick insisted.

"I hid a copy of the data in the HQ's mainframe upstairs" A.N.N informed the Brother.

"But you deleted the files?"

"I did but not before I copied them. Johnson was so focused on me, he didn't even bother to check for any backups I may have had in the mainframe. The data contains the location of the Vault."

"Meaning we can find it before he does! We can ambush Hyperion and save Ari! A.N.N, you're a genius!" Erick jumped for joy, believing the Vault Hunters had the edge. Gaige slowly walked in on his celebration. Erick realized she had entered the room and regained some semblance of composure.

"Erick…" Gaige said sadly, as if she was ready to weep.

"Gaige, how's Murph doing? He's probably healed up by now knowing his regenerative powers" Erick believed Murphy would be fine after nearly dying at the hands of Johnson but it was far from it "Gaige? What's wrong?" Erick realized something was amiss. Gaige's sad expression told the whole story.

"Gaige, did something happen to my partner?" A.N.N said with her voice quavering in fear of the worst.

"He's dying" Gaige answered. A chill ran down Erick's spine, he couldn't believe his friend was nearing such a horrible fate. After so many brushes with death, Erick believed Murphy was unkillable with the Nanites' healing factor flowing through his blood. A.N.N was as shocked by the news as well, she couldn't comprehend the thought of her friend dying.

"Dying?! What do you mean, Gaige? How can Murph be dying? He healed from the Thresher attack. Hell, he withstood one of my most powerful blasts and shrugged it off afterwards. How can a stab wound be killing him?" Erick asked with concern.

"I don't know but Monty noticed some weird Eridian markings on the weapon that injured him. Maybe it did something to him to inhibit his regenerative abilities" Gaige pointed out.

"No, it can't be true. It just can't" A.N.N was in denial. She did not shed a single tear but from where Erick and Gaige were standing, she looked as if she were sobbing from the facial twitches she made.

"Can't Zed patch him up?" Erick asked nervously.

"He can't stop the bleeding. The cybernetics in Murphy's body has made it difficult for Zed to operate on the wound and his body won't accept any insta-health we inject in him" Gaige informed.

"Lilith, how's she taking the bad news?" A.N.N worried for her newest friend, knowing how close she was with Murphy.

"She's in so much pain. Lilith hasn't been this upset since Roland died" a tear rolled down Gaige's cheek as she felt terrible for the red haired Siren "It hurts seeing her like this" Erick stood from his seat and held her close.

"It's okay" Erick tried to place her mind at ease.

"I'm sorry" Gaige apologized for worrying Erick "It's just… he's done so much for us, Erick. Murphy doesn't deserve this and neither does Lilith. It's hard seeing him in so much pain and it's even harder knowing there's nothing any of us can do. And worse part is Lilith has to relive the pain of loss again. It's tearing her up inside, you know?"

"I know. I feel the same way too" Erick's voice quavered a bit.

"Gaige, take us to him" A.N.N demanded, believing it was the last time she would see her oldest friend alive. Gaige nodded and lead them to the clinic. Erick took the black box containing A.N.N with him. As they walked through the town, they couldn't help but notice the large scale destruction left by Hyperion's attack on the city. So much death and destruction, they wished they could have done more to prevent it and save more lives. They purged the thoughts from their mind when they had finally reached the clinic. Zed stood in front of the entrance, wiping blood from his forehead with a towel.

"Howdy folks" Zed greeted them in his usual southern drawl "You came by to see my patient?"

"Yes" Erick stepped forward to answer "Is he okay?"

"Afraid not" Zed spoke with a stable town, even though the idea of a Vault Hunter dying in his care bothered him "I've used every medical procedure in the book but the bleeding ain't stopping. Whatever that Hyperion nutcase was using, it messed him up but good. Blade pierced right through his lung. I'll give him credit, the cyborg is one tough son of a bitch. How he's still alive is a mystery and of itself."

"How much time does he have left?" A.N.N inquired.

"Not much" Zed answered earnestly "The others are in the room with him, saying their goodbyes. If you've any last words for him, best you say'em while he's still breathing."

"Thank you Zed" Gaige said, looking down on the ground as depression weighed heavy on her shoulders.

"Sorry I couldn't do more to help kid" Zed admitted guiltily.

"You did your best" Erick admitted. Zed walked out of the way and allowed the three to pass. Erick opened the door for Gaige. When they entered, what they saw was disheartening. Murphy was lying on a medical table, barely breathing while the Vault Hunters stood by his side, Junior was perched on Montayva's shoulder. Lilith sat next to the dying Enforcer, holding his hand. The upper half of his armor was removed from his body and placed on the floor next to Brick. Blood covered the area where Johnson's blade had penetrated. Murphy chest was wrapped in bandages to slow his bleeding but they did little to prevent the massive amounts of blood loss.

"Ace…" Murphy tried to sit up to meet the Brother at eye level but his weakness prevented him from doing so. He slowly coughed up blood and his body recoiled violently.

"Jason, don't talk, you need to save your strength" Lilith begged although she knew the end was drawing near.

"I'm fine" Murphy tried to convince his friends but they knew he wasn't going to survive.

"Murph, I… I'm" Erick tried to apologize for failing to save him from his fate.

"No apologies needed, Ace" Murphy interrupted, knowing what Erick was thinking.

"I should have done something, Murph, maybe you'd be okay and… and…" Erick chocked up as a lump formed in his throat and he fought back tears.

"Ace, enough!" Murphy urged "Don't beat yourself up for something that was not of your own doing. I would have gotten stabbed regardless. You'll have to be strong now, for your sister. She'll need you to be in order to save her."

"I'll try Murph" Erick smiled slightly, instilled with confidence.

"You know what happened to Ari?" Gaige asked meekly.

"Zero told me the whole thing when I awoke. It's terrible. If only I could have done something to prevent this from happen…" Murphy coughed again as blood trickled down his lip.

"Jason, please stop!" Lilith yelled "You're only making it worse. Please rest."

"She's right Murph" Erick urged, agreeing with Lilith statement. He ignored their concerns, accepting his fate.

"I know you're trying your best to hide it but you know this is it for me" Murphy breathed heavily as he gasped desperately for air.

"That's not true, Jason. You'll make it through this" Lilith smiled, believing her own lie.

"I'm not" Murphy argued as he clenched Lilith's hand "Before I go, I have to say that I'm sorry."

"For what?" Lilith sobbed softly.

"For failing to keep my promise to you. I said I would always be there for you" Murphy said softly "You know I've always kept my promises, this is the first one I've broken. For that, I'm sorry Lilith. Can you forgive me?"

"I forgive you" Lilith bent over to kiss him. Murphy could see the tears rolling down her face and he gently reached out and wiped them away.

"No more tears Lilith, please" He urged her and she nodded"Ace" he turned toward Erick "Save your sister, kid. Make that monster pay for his crimes and… and…" suddenly, Murphy's veins stopped glowing blue and his eyes turned pitch as black. His body fell limp on the table and his grip on Lilith's hand loosened. She could feel him growing cold to the touch already. He was no longer amongst the living.

"Jason?" Lilith stood up and checked his pulse "No, no, no, you can't be gone. You can't leave me, not like this. Wake up, wake up!" she shook him, trying to awaken him but it was too late. Murphy was gone.

"Lilith, please control yourself" Maya urged, trying to help her friend as it pained her to see Lilith in such a way. She tried the comfort her friend but Lilith shoved her away.

"Get off of me damn it!" Lilith cried as she continued "Jason, please…" she finally came to the realization that he was dead. Lilith became distraught as a torrential storm of emotion consumed her "Not again, please god, not again! I can't lose you. I love you Jason" She ran her hand down the scar on his lip one last time. She wept as she buried her face on his chest. Mordecai approached his oldest friend to comfort.

"Hey, it's okay Lil. We're here for you" Mordecai pulled her off of Murphy and wrapped his arms around her. Lilith cried on his shoulder, still greatly pained by Murphy's death "That's it, let it out."

"I'm so sorry Lilith. I wish we could have done more to save him" Maya approached Lilith and placed her hand on her shoulder. The others slowly surrounded Murphy to pay their respects.

"Adios Tin Man" Salvador said, placing his hand on the table. Salvador was the first friend Murphy ever made on Pandora, it pained him to see his fellow Vault Hunter fall in the line of duty.

"Rest easy, soldier" Axton gave a salute out of respect for Murphy. It wasn't the first time the Commando saw his friends murdered but the sting of death was still difficult for him to take.

"Wherever you are, take care, Slab" Brick said quickly "We'll tear that evil bastard apart, that's a guaran-damn-tee. We'll kill his friends, family, associates, every single goddamn person who's ever had the displeasure of serving under him!" He yelled as he slammed his fists together.

"Brick, you're not making the situation any easier for Lilith" Montayva scolded the large behemoth.

"Sorry, I know I get a little crazy sometimes but nobody, NOBODY, hurts my friends and gets away with it!" Brick growled.

"Relax big guy, we'll make the fucker pay. But right now, we need to mourn our fallen" Mordecai looked at the corpse of the fallen Enforcer, feeling he had failed him when he needed him most.

"Farewell my good friend/ May the spirits guide you home/ May you find respite" Zero said respectfully. Montayva closed her eyes and prayed for his safe journey to the other side. Junior bent his head downward as sadness overcame him.

"Murph…I'm sorry man…I just wish I could…"Erick clenched his fist and knocked over a medical table "Damn it! Why did he have to go? Why couldn't I have done something to save him? I feel so useless. I feel powerless" Erick began sobbing himself. He took Murphy's death almost as hard as Lilith did. In their short time together, they had grown to be like brothers toward one another, even after their rocky start.

"Erick…" Gaige reached out and grabbed Erick's hand and held it firmly "I know how hard it is for you considering how you two were such good friends. I'll miss him too."

"Goodbye Murphy. I'll miss you" A.N.N cried "I'm sorry I've failed you Murphy, forgive me my friend" After paying their respects, the Vault Hunters prepared to leave but Montayva stopped moving all of a sudden.


	53. Chapter 52-Soul of the Machine

"Babe, what's on your mind?" Mordecai noticed the glassy eyed expression on Montayva's face. She looked paralyzed for some strange reason as if she were stuck in a trance.

"Monty, are you okay?" Maya snapped her fingers in front of the black haired Siren's eyes but she remained entranced. She didn't flinch for a second, she didn't even acknowledge the presence of the others in the room with her which began frightening everyone. After the events of today, caution was a luxury they could no longer afford. Junior squawked loud into Montayva's ear but she did not recoil. It was as if she did not notice anyone in the room with her.

"Montayva, answer/Tell us what's troubling you?/ Is it Murphy's death?" Zero stepped forward to inspect the Siren's strange zombified form, "Erick, your lighter if you will" Zero stretched his hand in front of Erick, asking him for his grandfather's old lighter.

"Uh, yeah. Sure thing" Erick reached into his pocket and pulled out an old silver plated lighter. The front had an engraving on it. It was the crest of the 5th Armored Calvary from the planet Earth with the name _Col. James C. Roberts, _his grandfather's name. He placed it in the Assassin's careful hands. Zero flipped the lighter open and placed the flame right in front of Montayva's eyes. She didn't even bother looking into the flame for even a second. Zero knew something was not right. The Assassin closed the lighter and flicked Montayva on her forehead with his fingers, breaking her nonresponsive state.

"Ow!" she shouted, rubbing her forehead and everyone let out a sigh of relief "Zero, what did I do to receive something so harsh from you? That was most unkind" she looked up at the others and noticed their nervous expressions "Guys, why are you all staring at me like that? Is there something on my face?" Mordecai walked forward and held her hand.

"What happened babe? You scared the living crap out of us. We thought something happened to you" Mordecai said with a worried tone of voice.

"What do you mean?" she asked out of genuine curiosity. This only placed more stress on the already shaken Vault Hunters' minds.

"You don't remember? You looked like a woman possessed" Maya pointed out.

"What happened?" Erick jumped in the conversation, also concerned for the Siren's state of being.

"I don't remember" Montayva answered honestly "All I remember is Murphy dying, us paying our respects to him, and we were starting to leave the room then all of a sudden Zero poked me on the forehead for no good reason whatsoever."

"My apologies, friend" Zero bowed toward Montayva as a sign of asking for forgiveness and she nodded, accepting it. She knew the Assassin meant no harm and only wanted to be sure she was fine.

"Monty, you were standing here for like 5 minutes completely paralyzed" Maya stated, startling Montayva.

"What do you…Aaaaahhhhh!" Montayva fell on her knees, grasping the side of her head in agony.

"Monty!" Mordecai was the first to rush to her aid the minute, helping her stand on her own two feet again "Monty, what's the matter?" Mordecai asked.

"I… remember" Montayva began recollecting what was going through her mind when she fell into her hypnotized condition "I remember… blackness…and a small shimmering light in the darkness. It spoke to me. The voice was ancient and mournful but felt so familiar to me. It said Murphy was still alive" Lilith eyes shot wide open when she told them her story.

"Jason… is still alive?" she asked quietly and Montayva nodded "But how?"

"I'm not entirely sure but the voice sounded confident enough" Montayva continued "He said we needed to reassemble the suit over Murphy's body. But in order for it to revive him, we needed to return the heart to the device in order to restore life to his body."

"The heart?" Erick asked.

"Yes, I'm not sure what it is myself but he said we had it with us" Montayva added.

"Then what are we standing around all slack jawed for, let's bring him home" Axton announced. The Vault Hunters ran toward the armor pieces and assembled it over Murphy's corpse. There was only one piece left to place, His helmet. Axton kicked it up in the air and grabbed it with both hands. He was ready to place it on Murphy's head but halted for a minute.

"What are you doing, Axton?" Gaige raised an eyebrow toward the Commando, noticing the cocky grin on his face.

"Boss lady should do the honors" he tossed the helmet toward Lilith and she caught it in her right palm "Bring him home, Lilith. I know he'd be glad to see you again."

"Thanks Axton, I never knew a jackass like yourself could be such a charmer" Lilith smiled at the Commando.

"I'm not as bad as you think" Axton retorted but in a respectful tone of voice instead of his usual aggressive one when some insulted him.

"Come back to me, Jason" she kissed the helmet for good luck and placed it over his head. The minute the locks activated, the suit's markings glowed bright purple. Everyone gazed as the armor illuminated the room with its radiance. Erick noticed something was amiss. The armor was active but the damage to the device was not repairing itself as it normally did and Murphy's wound was not closing either. Blood was still seeping from the bandages and the gauze that held in place.

"It's not working. He's still bleeding" Erick saw the blood trickle through the cracks in the armor.

"Why isn't it working, Amigo. We placed every single piece of the suit over Tin Man's carcass" Salvador scratched his long beard in thought.

"We've forgotten the place the heart inside the armor. It's still incomplete" Montayva sensed the voice again speaking her, notifying her of what they were missing.

"There aren't any pieces of the armor left, Monty. What else is there?" Erick stated.

"We must be missing something" Axton rubbed his chin, trying to figure out what else they needed to bring Murphy back from the dead.

"Me" A.N.N declared, comprehending what needed to be done to revive him.

"A.N.N, I strongly advise against it" Erick warned "You're already in terrible shape. If I remove you from the box, it could cause further damage to your neural processors. Your condition would deteriorate even further. The strain alone may be enough to kill you."

"I acknowledge the risks I'm taking in doing this Erick but it's a risk I have to take" A.N.N disputed "If it means my life for Murphy's, so be it."

"A.N.N, you can't do this" Lilith cautioned the determined AI "You're Jason's only family. If he knew we sacrificed you to save him, he'd…"

"Do you love him?" A.N.N interrupted Lilith.

"What?" Lilith asked.

"Do you love him?" A.N.N pressed on with the same query.

"Of course" Lilith finally answered.

"So do I" A.N.N admitted "And we both should do whatever it takes to bring my partner back. No matter what the costs are" A.N.N was determined to return Murphy to Lilith. Lilith acknowledged the AI's desire to save Murphy. She pulled A.N.N out of the box and placed it in the slot in the back of his helmet. The suit began repairing itself and the bleeding stopped. The Nanites were active again once A.N.N was returned to the armor.

"Guys, it's working" Lilith saw the armor mending the wound and fixing the damage caused by Johnson's sneak attack. Suddenly, energy emanated from the armor's joints and wrapped around Lilith's body. She screamed in pain as it lifted her up in the air.

"Lilith!" Mordecai ran to her rescue but the glowing sphere enveloping her pushed him backwards, swatting him like a fly. Mordecai slammed into the wall and fell on the ground hard. Eventually, the energy dissipated and Lilith fell on the floor. She was immobile as she lied on the cold floor, unconscious from the sudden burst of energy.

"Zed, get in here!" Axton shouted as he inspected Lilith's condition while the others tended to Mordecai. Elsewhere in what appeared to be an orphanage on Eden-5, Murphy was sleeping in one of the empty rooms and Lilith was sleeping on a bed across from his. Murphy woke with a start, slamming his head on the bunk bed above him. He fell back on the bed in agony as he clutched his forehead with his hand. Lilith also awoke, stunned and perplexed.

"Jason, is that you?" Lilith turned her head toward Murphy and noticed the drastic difference in his appearance. He was dressed in regular clothing instead of his armor, his skin was a normal shade of tan, the glowing veins in his body were no longer there, and he had a set of human eyes instead of the glowing cybernetic ones she was so accustomed to seeing. His eyes were a shade of green now. The only features that remained which she recognized were the scars on his eye and lip.

"It's me Lilith. Where are we?" Murphy asked as he focused his attention on the Siren.

"I'm don't know" Lilith's eyes wandered around the room, trying to gain a general grasp of her surroundings "We were in Sanctuary, mourning for you in Zed's clinic. This place doesn't even look familiar to me. I don't think we're on Pandora anymore."

"Wait a second, I know this place. This is my old room back in the Orphanage" Murphy slowly began recognizing the room.

"That's not possible. The orphanage is all the way on Eden-5. There's no way we could be here, even with my powers" Lilith scratched her head as she wondered how they could have traveled such a long distance.

"And that doesn't even begin to explain my appearance either. I feel human again" Murphy glanced at his arms and noticed the difference. He not only appeared different but he felt different as well. He no longer felt the cybernetics clanking in his joints or the Nanites flowing through his bloodstream. His vision was not blurred with codes and digital imaging as it did before.

"Jason!" shouted a young girl's voice, catching the attention of the pair. When they averted their gaze, they saw a small brown haired girl with green eyes like Murphy's wearing Sunday dress clothes.

"Ann?" Murphy walked up toward the young girl and kneeled down to meet her at eye level "But how? You're…" Murphy was cut off by his little sister when she rushed him and gave him a big hug.

"It's so good to see you again, Jason" Ann said happily "You've gotten so big and I'm still tiny. Kinda reminds me of that old story Father Joseph used to read to us during bedtime."

"Yeah, just like the story" Murphy admitted when he noticed the correlation. Ann saw the scars on his face and placed her hands on them.

"What happened to your face?" she asked with concern.

"I was in an accident but I'm okay now" a tear rolled down the side of Murphy's face and Ann frowned.

"Why are you sad Jason? Did something bad happen? Did someone hurt you? Tell me who it is and I'll sock'em right on the jaw" Ann lifted her fist up and tried to look tough for her older brother.

"Nah, it's just that…big brother's missed you" Murphy rubbed his eyes with his forearm to wipe the tears away.

"Oh, tears of joy. I missed you too" Ann turned her head and noticed Lilith standing behind him "Who's the pretty lady standing behind you, Jason?"

"Um, nice to meet you. The name's Lilith by the way" she introduced herself to the young girl, not knowing how to respond to her.

"Hello, I'm Ann" she responded "Are you friends with Jason?"

"Yeah, you could say that" she smiled slightly.

"That's a surprise. Jason doesn't have many friends. He always so shy around other people, especially pretty girls. Except for mom and I" she teased Murphy and poked him on the shoulder "Wait a second, is she your girlfriend?" Ann teased playfully.

"She is" Murphy answered truthfully.

"I knew it! Only my big brother could snag the most beautiful woman in the universe" Ann began running around Murphy and singing a childish tune "Jason and Lilith, sitting in a tree. K.I.S.S.I.N.G" Murphy and Lilith began laughing. Murphy scooped Ann up and carried her over his shoulder.

"Gotcha ya squirt" Murphy chuckled and Ann began screaming playfully.

"Jason, put me down! You know I'm afraid of heights!" she exclaimed as she tried to squirm her way out of his grasp.

"Say please" Murphy said mockingly.

"Pleeeeeaaassse" she pouted. Murphy obeyed his little sister and placed her on the floor again "So what've you been up to all this time? Things were pretty boring without you."

"I've been getting into trouble" Murphy shrugged.

"Like always" Ann said snidely "But I wanna know what you've been doing. What have you become since the last time we spoke? A president? An astronaut?" Ann began coming up with numerous occupations, trying to figure out what he was. Murphy finally caved in and told her.

"Big brother's a Vault Hunter now" Murphy admitted finally. Ann's eyes filled with childish glee and she had a smile from ear to ear.

"That's so amazing, Jason! You're living my dream! Have you been exploring the galaxy, seeing exotic new worlds, fighting giant monsters, finding lost Eridian treasures, and meeting new friends?" Ann kept asking the question until she had a straight answer from him.

"Yep, just like mom always used to tell us" Murphy said.

"Cool!" She shouted, throwing her arms up "Did you ever meet the Sirens of legend?"

"Yeah, he has" Lilith pointed at the alien tattoos on her right arm. Ann walked in front of her and studied the markings on her arm. She realized that Lilith was one of the Sirens of legend her mother always spoke of.

"Wow, you fell in love with a Siren, Jason. No wonder she's gorgeous" Ann remarked on Lilith's lovely appearance "You think I'll ever be as pretty as you?"

"I think you already are kiddo" Lilith patted Ann on the head affectionately.

"Jason, I have a surprise for you" Ann tugged on Murphy's pant leg "I made a friend. She's waiting for us on the roof. She says she knows you" Ann took his hand and dragged Murphy upstairs with Lilith following. When they finally reached the roof of the Orphanage, they were astonished at what they saw. It was Murphy's AI, A.N.N, standing in front of them. Her holographic visage was replaced with a more human appearance similar to what she already looked like. Her height was equal to Lilith's instead of her usual minuscule stature.

"A.N.N?" both Murphy and Lilith said with amazement. They couldn't fully understand what was going on.

"Hello guys, it's wonderful to see you both together and happy again" A.N.N smiled slightly.

"She says you and her have been on adventures together" Ann stood beside the AI "Her name's Ann too. Isn't that funny, Jason? She and I could be sisters if you think about it."

"A.N.N, how did…" A.N.N stopped Murphy before he could question further on the matter of her appearance.

"What? Am I the strangest thing you've seen today?" she asked Murphy.

"A.N.N, where are we?" Lilith inquired, still unable to fully understand what has happened.

"I not entirely sure myself but I believe something brought us all here for a reason. Maybe this place was created from Murphy's subconscious or maybe someone made this place for us."

"Why?" Murphy said curiously.

"Maybe to come to terms with the past" A.N.N frowned as she contemplated the real reason why they were here "Or to say farewell."

"What does that supposed to mean?" Lilith asked.

"I'm not coming with you this time, guys" A.N.N said sadly.

"Why?" Murphy asked with a frightened tone of voice.

"When I revived you, my neural processors were overwhelmed with data. I couldn't salvage any of my main systems when the sensory overload hit. I'm gone Murphy, this is it the end me."

"That's not…we go together" Murphy stammered, refusing to believe his only family was leaving him forever.

"Oh Jason" A.N.N walked up and wrapped her arms around Murphy. The Enforcer didn't know how to react to her affection "I've waited so long to do that."

"I'm not leaving you here" Murphy pulled her away from him "It was my job to protect you, A.N.N. I can't let you go."

"We were supposed to protect each other partner. And we did" A.N.N's voice quavered a little as she spoke. She turned her head toward Lilith, wanting to say her last wish to the Siren "He's all yours now, Lilith. Keep him safe for me, I won't be able to bring him back next time."

"I will" Lilith nodded.

"It's time to go sweetie" A.N.N scooped Ann in her arms and stepped away from the two.

"Aw, do we have to? Can't we go with them?" Ann asked sadly.

"I'm sorry but we can't" A.N.N accepted her fate and readied herself to pass on to the next world.

"Can't they stay here with us?" she asked again.

"They're needed back home with the other Vault Hunters."

"Okay" Ann finally accepted the two Vault Hunters needed to return home.

"Wait" Murphy started but it was too late, the two people he held most dear were starting to fade away.

"Bye Jason. Bye Lilith. I hope you two have many adventures together" Ann waved goodbye to her older brother and his love.

"Goodbye partner. We'll see each other again. I promise" A.N.N added right before she disappeared. Back at the clinic, Murphy slowly awoke and Lilith as well. Murphy was on the operating table wearing his armor while Lilith was on the ground being helped up by Axton and Zed.

"Murph, you're alive!" Erick shouted as he slapped Murphy painfully on the shoulder "Damn I'm glad to see you again."

"Ease off Ace, I'm still sore as a stalker with sunburn" Murphy joked, slowly removing his helmet.

"Lil, you okay" Mordecai marched over to see how his old friend was doing.

"I'm fine" she assured "Just have a bit of a headache. How long was I out for?"

"Only a couple of minutes miss" Zed flashed a small light in front of her eyes, examining her condition "You seem fine. Try to stay off your feet for a day or so. Jut let me know if you need any healing."

"Man you scared us shitless" Axton interjected "What the hell happened?"

"To be honest, I have no idea myself" Lilith twirled her red hair with her finger as she contemplated what just happened "Whatever it was, it felt like an hour instead of a few minutes" She looked over toward Murphy and saw the saddened expression on his face. He had pulled the chip from the helmet and she noticed A.N.N's visage was nowhere to be seen. The AI was dead, sacrificing her life for his.

"Murph, I'm sorry man" Erick sighed "I tried to warn her but she didn't listen."

"Can you bring her back?" Murphy hoped he would be able to save his friend the same way she saved him.

"No" Erick rubbed his eyes in frustration "The damage is too extensive for me to repair. Even if I could fix the chip, everything she was is long gone, Murph. Her thoughts, feelings, memories, and her soul. It would no longer be her."

"I've lost her. I'm all alone now" Murphy clenched the chip in his palm as he began coming to terms with her death. Lilith walked toward the Enforcer and wrapped her arms around him.

"You're not alone" she kissed Murphy on the forehead "I'm here for you always. And so are the others" Murphy held his Siren close as the others surrounded the grief stricken Enforcer, grateful that the fates had returned him to the land of the living once more.


	54. Chapter 53-Countdown to Armageddon

Three Pandoran days after the attack, the Vault Hunters prepared for the final assault against the Pegasus, the Hyperion troops it housed, and their fearsome leader. Thanks to A.N.N's noble sacrifice, they were given enough time to rally the troops, lick their wounds, and arm up for the coming battle in Aegrus. While the others began planning to destroy Hyperion and save Ari, Murphy remained in the lobby sitting on a tattered couch. He was staring at a picture of his Birthday party, his hand placed fervently over A.N.N's image in it. He hadn't truly gotten over the death of his AI companion and the vision he shared with Lilith on the day of his revival lingered within his thoughts. Eventually, Lilith bolted down the stairs, capturing his attention.

"Jason, we're waiting for you in the control room" Lilith informed with a worried look on his face. She knew Murphy was deeply hurt by the AI's death and wanted to be there to console him.

"Can't it wait a minute, I wanted to talk to you about what happened" Murphy patted the seat next to him, signaling her to come over.

"Sure, we have some time on our hands" Lilith walked over and sat next to the Enforcer "How are you feeling?" she asked worriedly.

"Fine for a guy who just survived getting his lung punctured" Murphy joked, trying to lighten the somewhat grim mood.

"That's not what I meant" Lilith clarified "I know A.N.N's death is hurting you Jason. I can see it."

"It's hard to believe she's dead" Murphy said somberly, rubbing his forehead in frustration "One minute she was there taking care of me and the next she's gone. A.N.N had been my only family for the past 5 years and like my sister before her, she died because of me, Lilith. If I would have been more attentive around my surroundings, we could have KO'd that bastard Johnson and Ace might've been able to fix her. Like he said he would."

"Don't blame yourself for something that wasn't your fault, Jason" Lilith gently removed the picture from Murphy's hand and placed the photographed memory on the table beside them. She placed her hand in his and he grasped it firmly "It was Johnson who killed her, not you. By tomorrow, we'll wipe Hyperion off the map and we can finally wake from this nightmare."

"I don't know what to do, Lilith" Murphy said regrettably "I was so sure we were going to defeat Hyperion and save these people. But after this, I've lost faith in my own abilities. I don't think I can win this alone."

"You don't have to do it alone. You have us. You have me" She smiled confidently at the Enforcer and he smiled in return.

"I appreciate your belief in me" Murphy pulled her in close and kissed her "But that's not the only thing bugging me."

"You mean the vision we shared?" Lilith recalled the strange sight of them together on Eden-5 and the sudden appearance of Murphy's deceased sister.

"Yes" Murphy confirmed "What was the purpose of it? Why were A.N.N and my little sis there? Why were we the only ones who saw it? And what dragged us into that world?"

"I don't have all the answers but I think you and I will figure it out together" Lilith assured.

"You know, A.N.N would kick my ass for sitting around here and sulking like a child after what I promised her" Murphy remembered his promise not to mourn for her if she were to pass on before he did. He chuckled as he imagined the AI yelling at him for breaking it.

"You always keep your promises" Lilith said as she leaned her head on his shoulder.

"I always do" Murphy wrapped his arm over her shoulder "When this is over, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I'll be honest, it'll be a rough ride but I think we'll manage it once we've figured things out."

"I'm not worried. You know I like it rough" Lilith teased and Murphy chuckled.

"Come on, let's join the others before I start getting ideas" Murphy chuckled, feeling much better after speaking with Lilith. Lilith and Murphy joined the other Vault Hunters, taking their usual spot on the table. All were present with the exception of Ari. Erick was sitting with the men on the left side of the table, playing with his grandfather's lighter with a greatly angered look in his eyes. Gaige stood across from him with a look of concern. She had never seen Erick so enraged before and she worried his rage would cloud his judgment, causing him to do something foolish and endanger himself. Montayva stood between Gaige and Maya, rubbing the sides of her head with an exhausted look in her eyes. She was still feeling the aftermath of her mind creating a connection with the strange voice.

"Well if it isn't our fearless leader and her boy toy. You two sure took your sweet time getting here" Axton said sarcastically, trying to elicit a reaction from Lilith. She just ignored the cocky Commando.

"This isn't the time to kid around Ax! This is serious!" Erick yelled at Axton for his antics.

"Whoa! Who pissed in your cereal?" Axton joked, trying to lighten the mood but he only made things worse.

"You think this a game? My little sister is in the hands of Hyperion. They're forcing her against her will to charge the key which in turn will open a Vault containing enough firepower to turn this planet into a cinder. And we're sitting around, acting like it's business as usual while at any moment Ari might be severely injured or worse!" electricity erupted from Erick's hands as his emotions got the best of him.

"Erick, calm yourself, please! Your frustration is giving me migraines" Montayva asked politely.

"I'm sorry, Monty. It's just I'm so sick and tired of sitting around with our thumbs up our asses when we should be in the Savage Lands looking for the Vault" Erick said as he gripped the lighter in his hands.

"We understand your concerns, Erick. But if we go in guns blazing, we could suffer heavy casualties. We can't afford anymore mishaps after what happened in Sanctuary. We need to play it safe and by the numbers" Maya advised. Erick simmered down and lowered his fist.

"We'll get her back Erick. We just need to form a solid plan of attack first" Gaige added.

"Okay, I'll calm down" Erick sighed as he continued to fiddle with the lighter.

"You okay kiddo? You look a little green around the gills" Lilith directed her comment to Montayva who appeared a little faint.

"My mood deciphering abilities have grown overly sensitive to emotions ever since I communicated with the voice a few days ago. It feels like someone's driving a nail through my temple" Montayva answered.

"You sure you'll be okay Monty? You can stay here and rest with our baby" Mordecai pointed out.

"Please don't worry so. The effects should subside by tomorrow. I'll be ready for combat" Montayva said honestly.

"Okay, long as you say so" Mordecai accepted her answer but still showed signs of concern.

"If everyone's settled, let's get this meeting started" Lilith leaned forward against the holographic map and activated the Echo device. Two distinct video displays hovered over the map, one showed the image of a young black haired girl while the other showed the image of a buff psycho who's size was almost equal to Brick's.

"Hello all. It's a pleasing sight to see you all again" greeted the young girl.

"Nipple salads!" snarled the Psycho.

"He means hi. That's his way of saying hi" Maya deciphered the psycho's strange dialect.

"Are these the other Vault Hunters you spoke of earlier?" Murphy asked, scratching his hair.

"Two of them at least" Lilith said while twirling her red hair "The young girl's named Angel. She's a Siren like us."

"Wait, I thought you killed Jack's daughter?" Murphy was confused, how could Angel be alive after the events of the first Hyperion war he thought.

"Ah, so you must be the newest member of our group. I've heard many tales of your exploits from Lilith and the others. A pleasure to finally make your acquaintance" Angel said gently, her face smiling a welcome "As of my fate, the rumors of my death were greatly exaggerated as one would say. After my physical form could no longer sustain itself, my spirit resided in the cyberspace my mind had been intertwined with for so long, one of the unfortunate effects of being strapped to computers for most of my life. When the threat of the Corrupted Brother loomed over the horizon, the Mother of Creation saw it fit to revive me so I could aid my fellow Sirens in their struggle."

"Uh, interesting" Murphy said casually, still somewhat confused by what she meant "And who is the other guy?"

"The lumbering slab of meat is Krieg" Brick introduced the deranged maniac "He was part of the second group of Vault Hunters who came to Pandora. He's got a couple of screws loose but which one of us doesn't?"

"Funny, you never mentioned him" Murphy did not recall any mention of Krieg, let alone his existence.

"We try not to talk about him. He always makes my skin crawl" Axton shivered in disgust.

"I know he's a bit off kilter but he's a good guy once you get to know him better" Maya defended Krieg's psychotic tendencies.

"You know there's a reason Moxxi left him out of the statue in Freedom City. Maniac's face would scare the tourist" Axton chuckled.

"Stop judging me!" Krieg growled through the Echo.

"Don't be so rude amigo. Krieg's self-conscience about his image" Salvador warned.

"Fine, I'm sorry Krieg" Axton said with little enthusiasm.

"Is he that bad?" Murphy wondered.

"Let's put it this way/If you thought Sal was scary/ Krieg dwarfs him tenfold" Zero answered in his typical haiku way of speech.

"Are you making fun of my height, Zero?" Salvador bellowed when he misunderstood what Zero meant.

"Perhaps" Zero projected a smiley emote, trying to tug on Salvador's nerves. Salvador calmed down and allowed Murphy to question further on the Psycho.

"What's Krieg's skill set?" Murphy asked, wondering how the Psycho would contribute.

"We mostly use him for crowd control and frontal assault. We usually send him out on manhunts from time to time. Krieg's the best at what he does. And what he does isn't pretty at all. Glad he'll be here to put his talents to good use" Gaige smiled confidently and Krieg laughed maniacally. After the battle with Jack, Krieg disappeared into the wastes, killing bandits and protecting the weak. After Duraph was dealt with, the Psycho returned to provide aid to his old friends and the newer Vault Hunters who arrived in his absence.

"They've just returned from their individual missions offworld" Lilith explained to Murphy "Which reminds me, how did things go?"

"My recon mission on Themis has proven to be quite fruitful" Angel said happily "It appears Dahl has discovered another Vault on the jungle planet. The operation is spear headed by General Robert Stryker of the Heavy Armor Division. Unfortunately, your ex-wife is also taking part in the operation Axton."

"Ah hell, why am I not surprised by this" Axton grumbled "Sarah would get herself mixed up in our business. She always been like that" He fiddled with the diamond ring hanging from the chain of his dog tags.

"You okay, Axton. You look a bit upset" Maya frowned when she noticed the disgruntled look on Axton's face.

"It's nothing. Bad memories starting to bubble up to the surface but I'll get over it" Axton shrugged but it did not satisfy Maya's curiosity. She dropped the subject due to the sensitivity of issue for Axton.

"Um, let's… let's move on to the next subject" Maya said, clearing her throat "Krieg, how was your mission on Hera? Did you capture the Atlas informant we sent you to hunt down?"

"I have in my possession the sweat bag of feces and semen!" Krieg screamed loudly into the Echo. A man's whimpering could be heard in the background.

"I'll take that as a yes" Maya said nonchalantly.

"Just bring this one alive. I'd rather not waste more time searching the galaxy for another of those pansies" Mordecai scolded Krieg.

"Now that we've gotten those little matters out of the way, let's discuss our final assault on Hyperion" Lilith started.

"Finally!" Erick said with exasperation. Lilith shot him a look, daring him to interrupt her again.

"Anyhow" Lilith stared back at the video "What's your estimated time of arrival? We could sure use your help on this one."

"I'm ready for the spine tingler!" Krieg bellowed, indicating he would be there by the time the battle would begin.

"ETA five hours" Angel informed.

"Good, then you'll be here to back us up when the end's drawing near" Mordecai said gratefully "Angel, what's the skinny on Johnson? Whatchu know about this guy?"

"You should know a thing or two considering you were connected to Hyperion networks once upon a time" Murphy pointed out.

"Let's see, Ah yes! Commander William Johnson of the 27th Rifleman Regiment" Angel snapped her fingers when she recalled of the vicious Commander "Recruited as a young man by Jeffery Blake, my father's future assistant, William was an orphan from the planet Promethea during the Atlas occupation. Both of his parents were murdered by Crimson Lance personnel shortly after his birth."

"Not exactly the best environment to grow up in as a kid" Murphy said, seeing the correlation between his history and Johnson's. Murphy too grew up on a dangerous world but he did not fall into the abyss of hatred Johnson fell in.

"Indeed" Angel agreed "The violence of his world shaped him into the murderer he is today. Blake saw potential in his abilities and recruited him into the military. Johnson went through severe training regiments and illegal genetic experimentation to mold him into the perfect soldier, gifted with amazing leadership capabilities. He led successful campaigns against both Dahl and Atlas for control of the border worlds. He was also responsible for the mass genocide of Apollo-15 for terraforming purposes and conquered Zeus, the Hyperion capital planet. He's is singlehandedly the most dangerous adversary we have ever come to face, more so than Jack and Richard combined. He is cold, calculating, ruthless, but most of all he's not afraid of getting his hands dirty. He was worshipped by his underlings and feared by his enemies. That is until my father became CEO of Hyperion."

"I know, he really has a hard on for your father" Murphy remembered how much Johnson despised Jack for what he did to him "Why would Jack try to kill such a powerful resource?"

"He and my father had several disagreements with the direction Hyperion was going" Angel replied "My father wanted to focus on finding the Warrior and civilizing Pandora while Johnson wanted to assert more of their influence throughout the galaxy, not just one world. After years of insubordination, arguments, dissention, and a fist fight, Jack became fed up with Johnson and launched him into space. The rest, you already know" Krieg slowly growled like a rabid animal after Angel finished her story.

"He is the devil! Evil incarnate! He is deserving! I will grind his liver with my teeth and splatter his meat chunks over the cutting room floor with my axe while I fornicate with his decapitated skull for my amusement!" Krieg knew who Johnson was. Before his discharge from the Hyperion military, Johnson captured Krieg for Jack's slag experimentations. Johnson is the sole reason Krieg lost his humanity and became the blood fueled rage monster he is today. The others however had no knowledge of this and did not understand why Krieg hated Johnson so much. They just took it as him ranting like a maniac.

"Now we know our enemy. Let's begin with our plan of attack" Murphy pointed at the location of the Savage Lands "Thanks to A.N.N, we know the Vault is located here, in the ancient ruins of the Savage Lands. We know where the exact location of the Vault whereas Johnson's still trying to look for the exact location, giving us a tactical edge and the chance to jump him with a surprise attack when he does arrive at the Vault. Here's the plan, Axton and Salvador will lead a ground unit of Loaders against the Hyperion ground troops while Mordecai and Brick will lead the Slabs and provide aerial support. While the troops are busy dealing with the Slabs, Lilith and Montayva will phase the rest of you into the Pegasus. Your objective is to board the cruiser, remove any remaining troops still inside and hijack the ship."

"Angel should be able to hack the Pegasus' mainframe with her phase powers and take control of the vessel" Lilith added.

"It shouldn't prove difficult to meld my mind with the ship as long as it has a Hyperion Network Uplink. One of the perks of being a former AI" Angel smiled confidently.

"You mentioned our part in the plan Slab, what about you?" Brick wondered as he cracked his knuckles with anticipation.

"Ace and I will head to the Vault" Murphy explained "I know Johnson will be there with Ari. The snake will do whatever is takes to open it. We'll finish the bastard off and make him pay for his crimes on Pandora. Any questions?"

"Yeah, why am I not coming with you? If we're taking this son of a bitch down, I'm coming!" Lilith yelled at Murphy.

"Look, I'll need you to stay with the others in the Pegasus. If things go FUBAR and I don't make, I need you to stay behind and take care of things" Murphy said calmly

"Is this because of what happened to A.N.N? It is, isn't it?" Lilith crossed her arms over her chest as she became more frustrated.

"Damn it Lilith! Will you please listen to me?" Murphy begged.

"This isn't up for debate! That bastard almost killed you! How can you ask me to stay behind after…"

"I can't lose you!" Murphy yelled at Lilith and she paused "The bastard's taken so much from me already. I couldn't bear the thought of losing you too. You're all I have left in this miserable world. I need you to lead the others while Ace and I end this, understand?"

"If you get killed, I'm going to be really pissed!" Lilith exclaimed, pointing her finger on Murphy's chest.

"Noted" Murphy nodded.

"If you live, I'm tearing those clothes off your body" Lilith teased.

"Also... also noted" Murphy rubbed his chin nervously when she mentioned it out loud.

"Ugh! Lilith! We're standing right here. Nobody wants to hear that" Mordecai threw his hands up in disgust.

"Go oooooonnnnnnn" Brick said with a cheeky smile.

"Alright, let's get serious here" Murphy ordered and everyone listened "This is it everyone. This battle will decide the fate of Pandora, hell the whole galaxy depending on the outcome. Are you prepared to do what is necessary?"

"Ready" Lilith pulled out her Hellfire SMG.

"You can count on me" Maya pulled out her bitch SMG.

"I got your back, Murph" electricity discharged from Erick's back and formed wings.

"Locked and loaded" Axton mounted the barrel of his Veruc over his shoulder.

"Let's go kill some bad guys amigos" Salvador pointed the barrel of his two gun toward the sky.

"My blade is ready/ My focus is razor sharp/ And my aim is true" Zero pulled out his sword and held the hilt with both hands.

"Anarchy forever, baby" Gaige flexed her metal arm and DT digistructed into existence, stretching his arms and bending his clawed fingers.

"This is gonna be fun!" Brick laughed as he pounded his fists together.

"Let's pop some skulls" Mordecai loaded his sniper rifle and Junior squawked. Mordecai looked at the bird as he turned to his right shoulder "Sorry boy, you ain't coming this time" Junior had a saddened look in his eyes "Look boy, I need you here just in case Tannis tries something fishy with my little girl, alright?" Junior squawked again showing he would begrudgingly agree to his master's demands.

"I'm prepared for anything" Montayva pulled out her Dahlminator and cocked it back.

"Hyperion's evil ends today Vault Hunters. I will not allow their corruption to spread any further" Angel said with determination.

"My stomach is clear and my mind is full of bacon!" Krieg slammed his head with his signature Buzz Axe, pumping himself up for battle.

"Alright then, win or lose, this war ends. It's victory or death, no turning back. Remember, we're doing this for A.N.N! For Ari! For Pandora!" Murphy lifted his fist in the air and the other Vault Hunters cheered alongside him.


	55. Chapter 54-Battlefield

A week after the attack on Sanctuary, Hyperion discovered the location of the Vault earlier than anticipated. The Pegasus floated over the tropical continent of Aegrus. Unlike the rest of Pandora, Aegrus was filled with swamp lands and marshes instead of the blistering sands and desert winds. Johnson and his scouting team were located in a dark cavern near the center of the Savage Lands. The cave was filled with markings and an upside down V shaped arc made of ancient stones was located at the end of the cave. Ari was in the center of the cave, she was covered in wires and pipes which were slowly pumping her full of Eridium to help speed up the key's recharging process. She was floating in the air with icy wings flowing from her back. She was imbuing the key with a beam of purple energy. She had nearly charged the key and Hyperion was one step closer to obtaining the Champion's legendary arsenal. I took longer than Johnson had anticipated, Ari's body was not as accepting to the Eridium as Lilith's was, forcing Hyperion to charge the key in small intervals instead of doing it in one go. Ari tried her hardest to resist but the collar wrapped around her neck forced the young Siren to carry out Hyperion's bidding without fail. Johnson was being outfitted with the new Doomsday MK-58 combat suit his men had promised him. The device looked similar to MK-57 except the armor was less bulky and much slimmer.

"Sir, the suit is 100% combat ready. You should be able to withstand the Brother's electrical attacks with little issue. The teleporter is now linked to the interface meaning you can warp from one place to another with just a thought. The Ragnarok Missile has been mounted on your wrist. It can only be fired once so only use it as a last resort" said one of the scientist, securing the suit's harness.

"Status report on the camp?" Johnson demanded.

"The perimeter is secure sir. Our men have had little trouble dealing with the Eridian Guardians patrolling the area. We've suffered no casualties at this point in time" the scientist said proudly.

"How long till the key's charged?" Johnson asked with anticipation.

"The girl should be finished charging the key in a matter of seconds" the scientist informed.

"Finally, it'll be mine" Johnson turned around "You hear that brat? This world is gonna end and you'll be responsible for all of it."

"When… my brother finds you… he's gonna fry you like a fly on a bug zapper" Ari stammered, struggling to speak as more Eridium was injected into her body.

"Oh, your big bad brother. I'm so scared. I think I might wet myself" Johnson said sarcastically "If his tin fuck of a partner couldn't stop me, what makes you think the primitive can?"

"What are you saying? What happened to Murphy?" Ari asked.

"I killed him. Stabbed him right in the back with this blade here" Johnson pulled out his Eridian broad sword and held the blade in front of his face "This bad boy was created by the Eridians themselves to defeat the Champion in battle. The sword can cause wounds that inhibit the Nanites' healing capabilities, solidifying that metallic jackass' demise, kid."

"Murphy… he can't be… Aaaaaaarrrggggggg!" Ari screamed in agony an explosion of energy emanated from the key. It was finally charged. Ari fell to the ground and the key plunged itself into the small opening in the center of the cave. The markings inside the cave glowed bright purple, the ground began shaking furiously, and a small portal opened between the V shaped arc. Blinding purple light filled the room, the soldiers and scientist averted their eyes from the illumination but Johnson stared right into it. As the light dimmed, what was inside the Vault was just as astounding. The Vault was opened, revealing thousands of ancient alien weapons. Johnson was the first to run into the Vault. He pulled out what appeared to be an Eridian rifle. He examined the weapon and nodded with approval.

"At last, the most advanced weaponry the galaxy has ever seen, and their mine to possess" Johnson exclaimed "What are you waiting for, grab the gear and let's turn this planet into smoldering ashes." The troops ran into the room, grabbing the weaponry and shouting with excitement. However the mood was dampened by the news from the Pegasus.

"Sir, urgent news!" yelled a soldier through the Echo "The Pegasus is under attack by bandits utilizing old Lance APCs, Loaders, and aerial vehicles. Ground troops have suffered heavy casualties and the ship has sustained minor damage."

"I should have known they'd follow me here" Johnson grumbled with frustration, annoyed by the appearance of the Vault Hunters "This is it men, the final battle. Guard the perimeter with your lives. If you even get a whiff of any Vault Hunters near the camp, ice them."

"But sir, what about the Pegasus?" asked a scared trooper.

"You got your orders soldier! Now carry them out!" Johnson exclaimed "I've come too close to lose it all here and now. Guard the perimeter, kill any intruders, and shut the fuck up!"

"What will you do sir?" the soldier pressed on.

"I'll remain here with the girl. I have some ideas on how to handle the brat should he stick his nose where it doesn't belong" Johnson placed the rifle over his shoulder and sat on a rock. Everyone except for Johnson and Ari left the cave and fortified the camp for any intruders. The Pegasus would have to fend for itself for the time being.

Outside of the cave, the Savage lands were turned ablaze as gunfire polluted the swamp. Bandit Loaders were attacking their former Hyperion masters, APCs were running over the bodies of the troops, crushing them like insects under a boot, and Buzzards battled the Pegasus above. Axton and Salvador were riding an APC while Brick and Mordecai were riding the skies with the Priscilla. Axton drove the APC while Salvador fired the main gun.

"You fellas just entered the hurt locker" Axton grinned as he slammed the vehicles into a large group of enemy Loaders. "Salvador, it's time to bring out the big guns" Axton signaled the Gunzerker to unleash the APCs heavy weaponry.

"Time to overcompensate!" Salvador bellowed over the roar of chain gun fire. Salvador grinned twistedly as the bullets mowed down enemy Loaders and Hyperion soldiers. Blood spattered all over the windshields of the vehicle. Axton calmly turned on the window wipers and cleaned the blood off to continue the slaughter.

"All too easy!" Axton bragged over the sound of bones shattering under the APC's tires.

"Best day ever!" Salvador laughed as he killed a Constructor. While they were wreaking havoc on the ground, Brick and Mordecai were raining chaos over the skies. The Hunter sniped down Jet Loaders from his seat while Brick fired heavy machine gun fire at the ground troops.

"Feel the wrath of the slabs!" Brick fired explosive projectiles at a Badass Loader and its compatriots, leveling the entire area to a smoldering crater. The Pegasus fired mortars at the aerial troops and the ground units.

"Brick, watch out!" Mordecai warned as he grabbed the wheel and spun it to make a sharp right turn. The mortar blasts killed a large group of Slabs on the ground and blew even more Buzzards out of the air. Axton and Salvador were hit by the explosive round, heavily damaging their vehicle.

"Damn! Car's busted" Axton cursed as he kicked the wheel of his car. Soon after, Loaders surrounded the busted APC and opened fire on the vehicle.

"You think this will stop me? You're all still dead!" Salvador growled as he continued to fire the APC's still functional chain gun at the machines. Wave after wave, more Loaders kept coming and coming. It appeared as if there was no end to them "Great, no more rounds!" Salvador pulled the trigger but it only made clicking noises. The gun was out of ammo and the Loaders let loose a barrage of bullets into the broken car.

"Get in here, shorty!" Axton grabbed Salvador by the collar of his shirt and pulled him into the APC for cover.

"What do we do now?" Salvador asked as bullets pierced through the APC's armor.

"Wait it out and hope for a miracle" Axton answered as he pulled out his Veruc. No sooner did he pull it out, Bandit Loaders came to the rescue and fought off the Hyperion troops. After what felt like hours when it was actually only a couple of minutes, the Bandit Loaders cleared the area and saved Axton and Salvador's hides. Salvador kicked down the door of the busted car and walked out of it with Axton following.

"Made it out by the grit of our teeth" Axton took in a deep breath and grinned "Never thought I'd be glad to see a Loader save our skins."

"You guys alright? Saw the commotion from all the way up here" Mordecai's voice came through the Echo.

"We're fine but our vehículo is out of commission" Salvador sulked over the destruction of the car.

"Stick by my Slabs. They'll keep you alive" Brick advised from his Echo.

"Did boss lady and company make it into the ship?" Axton looked up into the sky where the Pegasus loomed over the horizon.

"They'd better have" Mordecai muttered "Can't keep this little skirmish up for long without'em. We lost half our birds in the last hour. That ship is hammering us with those mortars."

"We knew this was gonna be a tough one. Let's get moving and hook up with the Slabs and give'em a hand" Axton said as he ran into the battlefield with his rifle held in his hand. Salvador ran in alongside him, ready to lend a hand. Meanwhile in the hangar of the Pegasus, soldiers and Loaders were preparing for an airdrop until a purple shimmer in the center of the room caught their attention. Lilith, Maya, Montayva, Gaige, Angel, and Krieg appeared from the vortex.

"Well look who it is. More of you dumbass Vault Hunters" said the Captain, pointing his weapon at Lilith.

"How you doing?" Lilith greeted them without a care in the world "Mind pointing those weapons somewhere else? Our friend here tends to get excited very easily" she pointed her finger toward the Psycho, mumbling nonsense and growling like a rabid skag.

"How about no" the soldier glared at the Vault Hunters and the rest of the men surrounded them "Johnson's gonna promote use once he learns we've captured the rest of you Sirens" he was referring to the four women standing in front of him.

"Your funeral" Maya smirked. The soldier's head spontaneously decapitated and flew into the air as Zero reappeared. The Assassin had cloaked himself when Lilith phased her team into the ship.

"Boo" Zero announced his arrival and continued attacking the soldiers.

"Executing phase-shift" Angel's tattoo's glowed as the hangar doors sealed shut, blocking out any incoming reinforcements. As the metal doors sealed shut, Lilith snapped her fingers and burned the Hyperion troopers. Maya phase-locked a constructor and Gaige summoned DT to destroy the mechanical assailants. Montayva protected her friends with her phase-shield while detonating a large group of Loaders from their insides. Krieg entered a rampage and began chopping his foes down with his signature Buzz Axe.

"I don't know these men" Krieg's inner voice began monologuing inside his head "Probably don't deserve what their getting. Doesn't make'em special though. All kinds of people die out here, the innocent, and the not so innocent. I want to warn'em, tell'em to run, to hide, to go back home to their wives and children so I won't have to kill'em. That's what I wanna say, what actually comes out of my mouth is…"

"Welcome to the matinée of blood, crying, and disembowelment!" Krieg snarled as he plunged his thumbs into the eye sockets of an unfortunate Hyperion trooper and cracked his head open like an egg.

"Huh, close enough. You know, normally I'd be against such gratuitous violence but considering the circumstances… I'm letting you loose, pal. Go ham on'em" Krieg's inner voice said regrettably inside the head of the monster and Krieg cackled evilly.

"The prince of darkness and genocide has something to say" Krieg began as he ripped out the liver of a Hyperion trooper "Gone are the days of the tentacle and the age of the gods' mercy is far away...We are the fighters of the middle, the second act in the three-part MEAT play, AND I WILL WIN BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR!" Krieg finished his long winded rant and spewed fire from the breathing apparatus of his mask, melting the skin off of anyone unfortunate enough to cross his path.

"The end's drawing nigh/ Prepare to face your penance/ Your deaths will be quick" Zero threw kunai knives into the throats of the approaching troopers. It was a sight to behold, Zero's skill was only matched by Krieg's brutality. The Assassin was quick and clean with his kills, wanting to make his foes' deaths quick while Krieg was vicious and methodical, wanting his enemies to feel the dreadful sting of his ax before they met their end, relishing every single moment of agony. Eventually, the room was clear and the Vault Hunters regrouped.

"Okay everyone, you know the drill" Lilith started "Angel, hack into the ship's mainframe. We need to gain control of this bird before any more lives are lost. The rest of us will provide cover for her until then."

"I should be able to gain full control of the vessel in a matter of minutes" Angel admitted "Once I've merged with the computer, I'll be able to turn the ship's security against the remaining troops onboard and provide the Slabs with extra Loader support."

"Better make it quick, the Hyperion troops are breaking through the doors" Gaige pointed out as she saw the Hyperion Special Forces blast the door to the Hangar down. Troops and Angelic Loaders came pouring in, one of which was carrying a large device on his back. As the chaos ensued, no one noticed the trooper turn the machine on. As the lights on the device flickered, the Sirens' powers began waning and they collapsed on the ground, barely conscious.

"Not again" Montayva grunted as she struggled to fend off the Loaders with her Dahlminator.

"This is terrible. I can't meld with the ship. Something's draining my powers" Angel exclaimed, confused why she felt drained "Why is this happening?"

"Hyperion got their hands on some of Duraph's old tech" Maya informed as she fired her Greed at a Loader "They've figured out how to replicate it. We'll fill you in on the details after we make it out of this."

"Zero, Krieg, we gotta find that machine and shut it down. If we don't we're all screwed" Gaige said as DT fired his thermal sonic laser into a large group of Hyperion troops.

"Agreed!" Zero nervously looked for the device while fending off the horde with nothing but his sword. They held out as long as they could but Hyperion was beginning to overwhelm the Vault Hunters. It felt as if it were the end for them. They were preparing for the worst until Krieg noticed the device in all of the chaos.

"You see that shiny thing in the middle, smash it" Krieg's inner voice directed the Psycho's vision toward the machine draining the Sirens' powers. Krieg ignored his conscience and continued slaughtering Hyperion soldiers "Look, I know it's difficult for you to understand this but if you don't listen to my voice at this very moment, our friends are gonna die and it'll be your fault."

"LET'S DO IT!" Krieg screamed in agreeance with the voice and stopped his mindless murder spree to save his friends "Gotta think big… BIIIIGGGGG!" Krieg's voice changed into a more monstrous tone as his left hand shriveled up, atrophying into uselessness and his right arm grew in gigantic proportions "I got a huge hand!" Krieg swung his arm sideways and knocked his foes out of the way. He threw his Buzz Axe with all his might toward the machine. The ax slashed through its metal structure and sparks began to fly. The Sirens' powers returned to them and the purple haze filled the air.

"Everyone get to cover!" Lilith ordered as the Sirens combined their powers just like they did in Lynchwood. A purple fog filled the air and Angel drained the life force from the troops. The troops collapsed to the ground and their physical forms changed of healthy soldiers into mummified corpses. The stolen life force fueled the Sirens' powers even further. Maya lifted the Loaders in the air with multiple phase-locks, Montayva brainwashed the remaining troops and dazed them. Lilith finished them off with a burning cyclone of fire as the other Vault Hunters hid in the eye of the fiery storm to avoid sudden death. The troops and Loaders were incinerated within minutes, nothing was left but molten metal and ashes.

"Well that escalated quickly" Gaige joked as she collected her thoughts.

"Such beautiful misery" Krieg growled as his body reverted back to normal size.

"Let's not wait for another wave to show. Angel, how soon can you gain control of the ship?" Lilith huffed as she caught her breath.

"Just a little more and… done" she smiled .In the other parts of the ship, Angel's face flickered in the monitors of the ship and the eyes of the Loaders and Constructors. The machines on the other parts of the ship turned on their masters and killed them off. Back in the swamp, the Loaders which aided the Hyperion forces began aiding the Slabs. Axton and Salvador knew at that moment they had successfully taken over the Pegasus.

"Bout time, things were starting to get hairy" Axton said, wiping the swamp's mud from his uniform "Way to go, Angel."

"I'm glad I could be of service" Angel said optimistically through the Echo.

"Now let's give this place a wide berth and get this war over with" Mordecai said as through the Echo, firing his sniper into a crowd of enemy troopers on the ground. Back on the ship, Angel had a discouraged look on her face as she hacked into Hyperion communications.

"Oh no" she said with shakiness in her voice "Johnson has opened the Vault. We've failed."

"Not yet" Maya patted her fellow Siren on the shoulder "He hasn't gotten the weapons off planet and his troops are spread thin. Murphy and Erick will stop him, just you wait and see."

"Let's hope so, they're the only ones who can stop him and save Ari" Gaige said worriedly.

"I know they will succeed. Nothing can stop those two" Montayva smiled.

"We have done out part/ Now it is up to those two/ May the fates be kind" Zero said as he slid his sword back into his sheath.

"Jason, come back to me please" Lilith prayed for the best but for now, all she could do was wait.

Afar from the mayhem of the battlefield, Johnson's scouting party was protecting the entrance to the Vault from any intruders which included the Vault Hunters and the Eridian Guardians who protected the Vault with their very lives. The troops wished they could aid their fellow brethren against the Slabs but they would never disobey Johnson's orders, lest they incite his wrath upon them. Murphy and Erick remained crouched, hidden in the marshlands, preparing for their moment to strike.

"Shit" Murphy cursed under his breath as he observed the camp through his binoculars "Looks like the Vault's already opened. The troops are equipped with alien weapons" Murphy turned toward Erick to discuss their plan of attack "Ace, this is the plan…"

"I'm tired of waiting Murph! If they opened the Vault then Ari's in danger. She's a liability to them now, they don't need her anymore. I'm not sitting around any longer, it's time we end this!" Erick shouted as he phased from his position into the center of the camp.

"Ace!" Murphy tried to stop the impatient Brother but he was too late. He was already gone "Damn it, Ace!" Murphy jumped out of the marshes and ran into the fray. The soldiers were taken by surprise when Erick sliced one of them open with his sword. The trooper's organs spilled into the marshy plain. The soldiers fired their newfound Eridian weapons at Erick but the Brother was too fast for them. Erick's rage reached new heights as red lighting enveloped him. He phased all over the place, cutting men down with his sword and frying them with electricity. The very sight of Erick's display of power turned them into electric ash. Murphy finally made it and attacked the soldiers with his Heavy Metal "Move Ace!" Murphy warned. Erick heeded his warning and avoided an Eridian explosive slug which detonated in close proximity of him, nearly tearing his metal arm apart. Murphy fired a well-placed shot through the remaining soldier's head, ending his miserable life.

"I'll make all you bastards pay" Erick growled as he glared at the charred corpses of his adversaries. Erick cloaked his blade into its sheath and turned toward Murphy "See Murph, that wasn't so…" Murphy slugged Erick a hard right hand to the jaw, cutting his sentence short.

"What the hell are you thinking, Erick!" Murphy said angrily, Erick knew Murphy was enraged when he didn't call him by the usual nickname "Are you asking for one of these guys to kill you? You can't just run around with reckless abandon, especially if Hyperion's equipped with weapons like these. Ari wouldn't want you to die for her."

"Fuck you Murphy!" Erick threw a vicious hook with his metal palm, knocking Murphy back slightly and cracking his helmet's visor which repaired itself almost instantaneously "How dare you use my sister as an excuse! My life isn't important, Ari is the only thing that matters here!"

"I understand your concern Erick but we have to be smart. One false move could get both us and Ari killed. Think how Gaige would react if she knew you died under my watch" Murphy tried to sympathize with Erick but he took it as an insult.

"Don't patronize me Murphy!" Erick screamed angrily "You don't know what it's like knowing your own family is in danger. Knowing that if you fail them, their lives are gone from this world forever and there's no way of getting them back. If Ari dies, her blood will be on my hands, mine alone! Because I failed to save her. I'm not letting her down and I'm not waiting around anymore, my little sister needs her big brother more than ever!"

"I get that, Ace. More than you could ever imagine…"

"How could you! You never had your family on the line when it counted! Just stay out of my way and let me handle things like I always do!" Erick tried walking past Murphy but the Enforcer grabbed him by his shirt collar and pulled him back "Let me go damn it!" Erick kicked and punched Murphy but was unable to break free. Murphy did not retaliate and allowed Erick to vent his rage. Erick eventually settled down and noticed the depressed look in Murphy's eyes, his words had done more damage than his fists.

"You think I don't know what it's like? I lost my sister because of my arrogance!" Murphy yelled at Erick "When I was just a kid, I thought I could handle anyone or anything that tried harming me or my younger sister Ann. But I was wrong, and my mistake cost me her life. You don't wanna know what pain like that does to a person, Erick. It makes you despise your very existence, the guilt will haunt you and hovers over you like a dark cloud" Murphy released his hold and removed his helmet "It turns you into this. I don't want you to become me Ace, so please listen to me one last time and I promise we'll save her and send Johnson straight to hell" the Enforcer begged.

"Murph, I'm sorry. I didn't know that you…" Erick paused when a strange alien creature appeared in the corner of his eye. It was an Eridian Guardian, equipped with cannons on its back and Eridian blades for arms. It was accompanied by other Eridian Guardians. The beings surrounded the two Vault Hunters and prepared for a coordinated assault.

"What the hell are those things?" Murphy pointed his rifle at the creatures.

"I dunno Murph but they look pissed. I'm guessing they ain't the welcoming community" Erick joked as lightning surged through the palm of his hands.

"Whatever you do, don't attack them unless they attack first" Murphy advised. The creatures slowly encircled the two and drew closer. They paused for several seconds and kneeled down, bowing toward them and chanting something in a strange alien language.

"What are they doing now?" Erick asked with a perplex look on his face.

"They want to help us" Murphy surmised as if he understood the aliens.

"You can understand these things?" Erick asked with a hint of intrigue.

"Yes" Murphy answered "They're honored by our presence and grateful that their Champion and the Brother Guardian have returned to reclaim what is rightfully theirs" He translated their dialect like a second language "They're asking for forgiveness for failing to prevent the dark one and his horde from unlocking the Vault. They await our judgment."

"What should we do with them, Murph? They're not evil by any stretch of the imagination but they're not human either. Can we trust them to help us?" Erick wondered.

"Yes" Murphy assured, but his tone of voice had changed. Murphy sounded completely different from the man Erick knew "Rise my warriors! All is forgiven" the beings stood on the command of the Enforcer "There is work that needs to be done. The mortals have defiled our sacred holy ground. Do you wish to allow them to take my weapons, wreak havoc on the peaceful civilizations and spread their poison across the galaxy? I say nay. Warriors, slay the horde plaguing our land while the Brother and I strike the heart of the dark one and smite thee. Together, we will return these fiends to the abyss which spawned such vile creatures. Stand by me once more as you did centuries ago and fulfill your obligation to the mother of all creation. By the end of this quarrel, the day will be ours! Now let us finish this battle and topple the obstacle which stands in our way, let us regain our home land!" Murphy shouted and the creatures chanted in unison.

"Murph, where the hell did that come from?" Erick asked

"I have no idea. It felt like someone else was speaking through me" Murphy spoke in his normal form of speech as he rubbed his temple with his metal hand. He regained equanimity and slapped his helmet back on "We'll worry about that later, let's save your sister."

"Right" Erick said, oozing with confidence but showing hints of doubt. The two looked at the entrance and looked back at each other afterwards "So this is it, one last push."

"One last fight" Murphy retorted

"We're finally nearing the end. It feels like we've been fighting forever" Erick paused to contemplate what to say next "Murph, if I die at the end of this, take care of Ari and Gaige for me. They're the world to me. And tell them that I love'em and…" Murphy stopped Erick before he could finish.

"Tell them yourself Ace" Murphy placed his hand over the Brothers shoulder "Start thinking like that and you're already dead. You have to be strong for them, Ace. Don't allow fear to creep into your thoughts. We'll make it out of this. After this is over, we'll be laughing it up with the others and celebrating at Moxxi's."

"You're buying" Erick laughed and Murphy chuckled

"Deal" Murphy promised "It's been an honor, kid."

"Likewise" Erick reached out and shook Murphy's hand "We've finally reached the light at the end of the Tunnel" both walked into the dark cavern and the Eridian Guardians followed.

"Half as long" Murphy entered Riot Mode and held his rifle high.

"Twice as bright" Erick formed electric wings on his back and lightning crackled in his eyes.


	56. Chapter 55-Evil Incarnate

"Sir!" yelled the soldier through the Echo. Johnson was waiting alone in the cave with Ari, holding his new Eridian weapon in his hands, eagerly awaiting Erick's arrival. Ari was lying on the ground, completely motionless and still plugged into the Eridium pumps.

"What is it soldier?" Johnson asked as he placed his two fingers on the earpiece on the side of his helmet.

"It's the Guardians!" informed the scared soldier "They're tearing us apart! I've never seen them fight with such ferocity before. Our new weapons are unable to…AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" the soldier let out a death screech as the Guardian pierced his heart with its ancient weaponry.

"Farewell soldier. Your sacrifice will be rewarded in the afterlife" Johnson assured as he pulled out his knife from his boot and his sword from its sheath. He noticed a dark figure approaching from the entrance of the cave "So you've finally decided to join us, Earth scum. I was starting to get bored" Johnson called out, believing the figure to be Erick.

"I hope I'm not too late. I came dressed for the occasion" said an older voice, not Erick's however. As the figure appeared into the light emanating from the cave markings, Johnson's heart skipped a beat once he saw who the man was. It was Murphy, fully healed and very much alive.

"How!? I friggin murdered your ass! You should be a rotting corpse buried deep underground!" Johnson screamed in disbelief.

"What can I say, I die hard" Murphy boasted as he aimed his weapons at Johnson "Release the girl and I'll make your death quick."

"You? Kill me? HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Johnson laughed hysterically at Murphy's threat "I'll give you points, Murphy. You came all the way back from the dead to arrive at my little shindig but I think your little brush with death has made you delusional. Have you forgotten how easy it was for me to defeat you in Sanctuary? There is no way in hell you can kill me by yourself."

"Who said I was alone?" Murphy pointed out and Johnson gave him a perplexed look "Now Ace!" Murphy raised his hand and signaled Erick to begin his surprise attack. Erick phased behind Johnson and attempted to plunge his sword into Johnson's black heart but the Hyperion Commander disappeared in a digital flash.

"Where did he go?" Erick turned around hastily and saw Johnson standing next to him, preparing to stab Erick in the back with his knife. Erick digistructed his robotic arm's claws and deflected the attempted backstab.

"So glad you could join us, brat. I've been waiting for a chance to rip you a new one for what you did to me in Opportunity" Johnson said menacingly as he prepared to duel Erick.

"Murph, get Ari to safety while I handle this jackass" Erick ordered. Murphy nodded and flew over to Ari's position. Erick clenched the hilt of his sword until his knuckles became white as bone. He fired an electric blast at Johnson. At first, the electricity seemed to have done some serious damage but the crackling of the lightning subsided and Johnson laughed.

"Did you honestly think I wouldn't come prepared this time, primitive?" Johnson cackled at Erick's ignorance "The MK-58 was specifically designed to defeat you. The plating is 100% insolated. Your little light show won't save you. If you want to kill me, you're gonna have to do it the old fashioned way" Johnson pointed his blades at Erick, knife on one hand, and Eridian broadsword in the other.

"Zap you, stab you. Makes no difference to me" Erick said confidently as he pointed his own weapons toward the Commander. Both charged at each other, colliding blades and trading blows. Sparks flew all over the place as their blades made contact again and again. While Johnson was busy dealing with Erick, Murphy made it towards Ari's position. Murphy kneeled down and pulled the tubes out of Ari's arms and back, the glowing purple liquid leaked from the pipes and saturated the ground beneath Murphy.

"Come on kid, we're getting out of here" Murphy assured as he lifted the young girl in his arms. Johnson and Erick entered a stalemate, their blades grinding metal from the pressure they placed as they tried pushing off one another.

"So you want the girl back, huh?" Johnson inquired, seemingly more focused on Murphy then the fight at hand with Erick "Shame, my boys and I were planning to have some fun with her when we celebrated the destruction of Pandora. But the hell with it, she's all yours. Ari, kill Murphy!" He commanded. Ari's eyes shot wide open, they appeared blank and a mist of ice formed around her. The collar on her neck glowed green and she grabbed Murphy's helmet, freezing the facemask. Murphy dropped the mind controlled Siren and removed his helmet to regain his vision, now obscured by the ice covering his visor.

"Oh my god!" Erick murmured under his breath as he was taken aback at what he saw. His little sister was now a pawn in Johnson's game. In that moment of horror, Erick showed signs of weakness, rendering him vulnerable to attack. Johnson struck fast, Erick was able to avoid Johnson's attack but not before the tip of the sword sliced open the old scar over Erick's left eye, the same one he suffered when Richard landed a punishing blow to him during the conflict with the Bloodshots. Blood trickled down the opened wound and flowed down Erick's eye, blurring his vision.

"First rule of warfare, never take your eye off your opponent. Not even for a second" Johnson lectured as he prepared to strike again "Give it up boy. Your sister belongs to me now."

"Goddamn it Johnson!" I'm gonna rip your throat out for what you did to my sister!" Erick screamed as he charged in headfirst toward Johnson, allowing his rage to get the best of him.

"How cute, you actually care about the slut" Johnson chuckled as he calmly entered a defensive position "And that's what makes you weak!" Johnson blocked Erick's attack effortlessly and threw a right hook, landing a perfect hit on Erick. Erick furiously swung at Johnson and he disappeared in a digital flash again. Erick phased himself as well and both reappeared in the middle of the cave, crossing swords and causing sparks to fly. The two continued maneuvering all over the cave, teleporting from one place to another, slamming their swords into one another and deflecting each other's' attacks. As Johnson and Erick continued their sword duel, Murphy was preoccupied with the task of dealing with Ari. The enslaved Siren was flinging ice attacks at Murphy while he deflected them with his Riot Shield.

"Kid, listen!" Murphy begged "It's me, Murphy! I'm here to save you but I can't do anything if you won't listen to me. You gotta fight whatever hold Johnson has on you!" his pleas fell at deaf ears as more ice and mist formed around the dome protecting him from her attacks. Murphy was trapped in a difficult situation, he couldn't go near Ari or he would become a frozen statue and he couldn't fire his weapons at her control collar due to the possibility of ending her young life. Meanwhile, Johnson and Erick continued their battle with Johnson gaining the upper hand on the distracted Brother.

"Brat, you have no chance in hell of defeating me" Johnson bragged as he nicked Erick on the side of his face with his signature knife "I am the ultimate warrior, forged from the fires of war. I've been bred to kill men greater than you. I have been genetically enhanced to be faster, stronger, and more intelligent than any living, breathing person in this universe. I have experience, combat prowess, and weaponry powerful enough to lay the galaxy to waste with just a pull of the trigger. And what are you? You're nothing but pond scum from a backwards civilization. The only thing that makes you special is superpowers."

"You forgot to mention good looks too, loud mouth" Erick smirked as he kicked Johnson in the groin "Ouch! That must've hurt."

"You're just digging your own grave, monkey" Johnson cringed in pain as he regained composure "It's only a matter of time before I drive my blades into your sternum. I'm faster and stronger than you physically. Your powers are nullified thanks to my MK-58 combat suit. I can take whatever you can dish out."

"I have a few surprises of my own" Erick grinned.

"Like what?" Johnson asked in an arrogant tone.

"This!" Erick fired a plasma bolt at Johnson, landing a direct hit on the teleporter strapped to his ammo belt. Johnson was too slow to react to Erick's surprise attack and was unable to maneuver away from the blast. Johnson nervously threw the burning device from his belt and Erick took the chance to strike Johnson down "This is for A.N.N" Erick knocked the knife away from Johnson's hand with a swipe of his claws "This is for the people you murdered in Sanctuary" Erick shattered Johnson's Eridian sword into pieces with the immense force from his sword attack "And this is for Ari!" Erick sliced the sword in an upward motion and knocked off Johnson's helmet, revealing his disfigured face.

"I have to commend you, kid. You have some talent" Johnson admitted "But before you strike me down, you should know something. If my heart stops beating, that collar on your sister's neck goes BOOM!" Erick stopped himself as he prepared to finish Johnson off. He couldn't live with himself if Ari was murdered and he was the cause. He turned away from Johnson to look at Murphy who was struggling to fend himself against Ari's barrage "So what's it gonna be? Me or her?" Johnson asked as he pulled out the Eridian rifle and pointed it under his chin. Erick phased toward Ari and knocked her down, holding her wrist down on the ground and giving Murphy some breathing room "Typical" Johnson laughed.

"Thanks for the save, Ace" Murphy said gratefully to Erick.

"Thank me later" Erick said as he struggled to keep Ari grounded "Keep Johnson busy until I can get this damn collar off. But don't kill him. If he dies, Ari dies."

"Understood" Murphy agreed, knowing what the Brother meant after overhearing the conversation he and Johnson had. Murphy walked over to Johnson, the menace grinning enthusiastically for the moment of truth.

"The kids are away, now it's time for the grownups to play" Johnson said gleefully "It's finally here isn't it? The moment we've been waiting for."

"I guess so" Murphy agreed as his chain gun and plasma cannon pointed toward Johnson's head and Murphy lifted his Heavy Metal rifle toward Johnson's chest.

"So that's what you look like under the helmet. I have to say you are one ugly son of a bitch" Johnson mocked the paleness of Murphy's skin and the glowing blue veins around his neck.

"You're no prize either, Scarface" Murphy insulted Johnson's burn marks on the left side of his face.

"Like I give a damn, Murphy" Johnson said, unfazed by Murphy's insult "This is the face of a true soldier. One that doesn't fear death in the face of adversity, one who is ready to fight when a challenge arises."

"Jesus, you talk too much" Murphy said with an annoyed tone.

"You know, in the end, I knew it would come down like this between you and I. We're a lot alike" Johnson admitted.

"I'm nothing like you. You're a murderer who kills for his own selfish reasons" Murphy glared at Johnson angrily after the Commander made his claim.

"Wrong, I fight for my men" Johnson clarified "I fight for those who have suffered under the oppressive boot of Handsome Jack. I fight for those who have suffered in this squalor while the fat cats on the board grew rich. And as for denying any similarities between us, you're dead wrong. We were both born in worlds of violence, where we had lost everything and the only thing we could do was fend for ourselves. We were both chosen for greatness and turned into warriors. You through that armor and I from genetic experimentation and years of military training. That's what we are, survivors who weren't ready die, molded into warriors who followed their own beliefs and not the ones of their masters. We are men who chose to no longer be slaves. The one true difference is you chose to fight for the weak while I chose to fight for the strong. In another life, we could have been friends."

"Keep dreaming" Murphy restrained himself from firing. He knew if he killed Johnson, he would kill Ari. Erick was still trying to safely remove the collar from her neck. All Murphy could do was buy time by distracting Johnson.

"Enough chit-chat then, it's time to die!" Johnson fired his Eridian rifle at Murphy. The Enforcer digistructed his Riot Shield to deflect the incoming bullets but the energy bolts pierced through the shield like wet tissue paper.

"Fuck!" Murphy cursed as the bullet nicked his arm and fresh blood jetted from the wound.

"Holy shit! I think I'm in love with this damn rifle" Johnson snickered, impressed with the rifle's capabilities. Murphy screamed as Johnson fired more rounds into his right shoulder and left knee cap. Eventually, Murphy shield dissipated, forcing him to hide behind a large rock wall "Don't leave in such a rush, Murphy! The party was just getting good!"

"Ace! Anytime now!" Murphy demanded that Erick remove the collar as he fired around Johnson to keep him back but to no avail. Johnson was unafraid because he knew Murphy wouldn't kill him. The bullets drilled through the wall, shrinking Murphy's cover by the second.

"Give me a sec, this is a lot harder than it looks" Erick said as he tried to rip the collar off carefully with his claws. Ari recoiled by freezing her older brother's metal arm and shattering it with a quick tap of her finger "Ari, please stop this!" Erick begged but she did not listen. She fired more ice blasts at Erick which he avoided with his Phase powers. Erick began slowing down as he felt a chill crawling up his left shoulder as an ice blast brushed over it. Erick could feel the hyperthermia already affecting him. His vision began blurring, he grew sluggish, his breathing was heavy, and he couldn't stop shivering "Sorry sis" Erick fired a small electric blast at Ari. Her hair stood up as the volts coursed through her body. The collar's circuitry overloaded and burned out from the sudden charge of energy. Ari fainted, collapsing on the ground. Erick rushed over and removed the collar from her neck using his right hand "Okay Murph, kick his ass" he shivered as he fell on his knees from exhaustion.

"About time" Murphy smiled confidently as he jumped out of cover and fired his weapons at Johnson with the intention of ending the Commander's life. A plasma bolt destroyed the rifle in Johnson's hand and the chain gun rounds shredded through Johnson's side and his pectoral muscles. He could feel the bones in his body snap as the rounds ripped through his body. With his teleporter gone, he was vulnerable to the incoming fire and without the collar, he had lost his trump card against the determined Enforcer. Blood began seeping through the cracks of his suit. He could feel the end coming and it made him desperate.

"I'm not dying yet" Johnson lifted his arm up and pointed a wrist mounted missile at Erick and Ari. Erick was too weak to phase himself and his sister out of harm's way and Murphy knew it. Johnson fired the rocket toward them with the intent of killing the two siblings.

"Ace, watch out!" reacting instantaneously without a second thought, Murphy jumped in the trajectory of the projectile and shielded himself from the explosion. Due to the shield suffering heavy damage from Ari's attacks and Johnson's weapon, the shield collapsed and Murphy suffered heavy damage. His armor and shield took the brunt of the blast but the rest damaged his suit greatly and sent him flying backwards. Murphy fell on the ground hard as blood trickled from the cuts on his arms, face, and back. His suit suffered serious damage, the cannons on the shoulder were broken, the wings on his back were blown off, and pieces of the armor were missing.

"Murph!" Erick yelled with concern.

"Gotta love those big ol' mushroom cloud sendoffs" Johnson picked up his knife and hobbled over to Murphy, holding his ribs with his free arm "Can't hurt to make sure though. Let's see him rise from the grave after I've decapitated him. His head should make a nice addition to my trophy wall."

"Leave…my friend… alone!" a sudden volt of electricity surged through Erick's body and wings of lightning formed around his back. Erick stood up and summoned what little strength he had left and fired at Johnson. The Commander ducked to avoid the lightning storm heading his way.

"Ha! You mi…" Johnson was ready to insult Erick until he saw what the Brother's true target really was, the Vault of the Champion. The blast entered the Vault, electricity jumped from one weapon to another as each detonated in synchronization, one after another. Johnson watched in horror as everything he strived to achieve was gone in an instant "No, no, no, NOOOOOOOOO!" Johnson screamed. The weapons' detonation created a large fiery explosion which engulfed everyone in the surrounding area, blanketing those inside the cave in ashes and smoke.


	57. Chapter 56-Journey's End

As the electric smoke cleared and the dust settled, Erick was lying on the ground, drained and shivering from his ordeal. He looked around the cave to see if Murphy and Ari were both okay and Johnson was killed. As he turned his head, he saw Ari lying next to him, unconscious but still breathing. He turned around again and saw Murphy, heavily injured and out cold from the missile blast. Johnson was nowhere to be seen but what Erick saw next was a much more pleasing sight. The Vault was in ruins and its contents were nothing more than mere scrap metal. Erick had put a permanent end to Hyperion's plans for galactic conquest and saved Pandora from near destruction.

"M-M-M-M-Murph? Can y-y-y-y-you hear me?" Erick called out, his arm wrapped around his ribs trying to keep warm. Murphy stirred and awoke. He sat up and looked at Erick.

"Ace…" Murphy started as he shook off dizziness "Did we win?"

"Yeah, I t-t-t-think we did" Erick answered earnestly.

"And the Vault?" Murphy asked

"Gone" Erick smiled. He returned his attention to Ari, moving a strand of hair from her innocent face.

"Is she gonna be alright?" Murphy pressed on.

"Yeah, s-s-s-she's sound asleep. Zed will have to patch her up but she'll m-m-make a full recovery" Erick stammered as his shivering became more frequent and his skin started turning light blue.

"And you?"

"I-I-I could really use some of Gaige's h-h-h-h-hot coco right about now" Erick laughed but he cringed as he felt a sharp pain on his shoulder "What about you?"

"Give me 5 minutes and I'll heal up" Murphy answered as he moved his shoulder around, trying to get feeling back into it. Murphy scanned the area with his gaze, desperately looking for Johnson's body "Ace, where's Johnson?"

"Right behind you" said an ominous voice. Johnson appeared from the shadows and knocked Murphy out with a punt from his metal boot. Johnson looked around and found Erick, glaring at him with unfathomable fury.

"Murph!" Erick ran up and tried to stab Johnson with his sword but with no energy and suffering from hyperthermia, Erick stood little to no chance to Johnson who appeared strong even with his injuries. Johnson knocked Erick's sword with a swipe of his hand and grabbed the young Vault Hunter by the throat, lifting him up in the air with one arm.

"Look at this" Johnson growled. He scooped up the burnt ground under his feet with his free hand and placed it in front of Erick's face. The dirt slipped between his fingers and Johnson's grip around Erick's throat grew tighter "I was going to build a perfect galaxy from the ashes of this squalor, this filth, this shithole, whatever the fuck you want to call it. But you've denied me even that. I know you think I'm an animal for the things I've done but every action I take, no matter how barbaric, violent, or cruel has always been for the good my men. And now because of you goddamn Vault Hunters, I have lost my ship, my soldiers, and my guns. Everything I worked so hard to achieve is nothing but mere ash because of you, boy. Now, I have nothing to repay my men for their sacrifices. I have no soldiers. I am the leader of nothing… I AM NOTHING!" Johnson's grip grew tighter and Erick couldn't breathe. Erick tried to kick and punch his way from Johnson but was unable to reach him "This is my vow: Every friend, every person you passed by the street, and your family… I'll murder all of them. I'll put them through every amount of pain and suffering imaginable. I'm going to do to them what I'm about to do to you, except much slower! I'm going to savor every little act of violence as I rip out their intestines and hang your loved ones by a flagpole with'em. And I'm gonna start with your sister when I'm done with you."

"Leave Ari alone you goddamn piece of…" Erick was ready to curse Johnson out until he gripped his throat tighter and cut off his oxygen supply.

"Language" Johnson let out a sinister cackle "And I won't stop there. I'll make it my mission to cover Earth and Pandora in oceans of blood. Carry that agony to oblivion, Earth trash" Johnson gripped as tight as he could around Erick's neck. He could feel the bone ready to snap as he applied more pressure. Erick was slipping away from consciousness, feeling the end drawing near for him. Erick would not accept death lightly as he struggled to break free. Suddenly, Murphy came charging and speared Johnson to the ground. Johnson lost his grip and released Erick, all three men fell down hard on the ground. Erick could barely move, all he could do was watch as Murphy and Johnson wrestled each other in the dirt.

"Not again! I'm not losing my family!" Murphy shouted as he punched Johnson in the jaw. Johnson kicked Murphy off and leaped on top of him. He pulled out his knife and jabbed Murphy in the shoulder.

"Why won't you fucking die already?!" Johnson shouted as he dug his knife deeper into Murphy's shoulder. Murphy punched Johnson off, pulled the knife out of his shoulder and attempted to jab Johnson with his own knife. Johnson however grabbed Murphy's hand and blocked the attempt "Not quite how I imagined it but we can still end this on a high note." Using every ounce of strength left in his body, Johnson flipped Murphy over and wrapped his fingers around his neck, choking him "How about this time, you die for real?" Johnson growled as he knocked the knife out of Murphy's hand and grabbed Murphy's neck with his free hand. As Johnson prepared to break Murphy's neck, a blinding purple light flashed behind him, capturing the attention of all "What the…" as Johnson turned around to investigate, three rounds from a Maliwan fire revolver fired off and ripped through his back.

"Sup bitch!" yelled Lilith in a mocking tone. She had phased her way into the cave to provide Erick and Murphy with much needed.

"You cock sucking, used up, red headed whore!" Johnson snapped, coughing up blood. He released Murphy and allowed his rage to get the best of him as he stood up and shambled over to her position. Lilith fired 3 more rounds into Johnson's chest but he kept on coming. Even with 6 rounds in him, it was not enough to put the rabid dog down, one of the perks of his genetic enhancement and MK-58 was increased durability. Murphy saw the perfect moment to strike Johnson while his back was turned. He picked up the Commander's signature knife and readied himself for the final blow "I'm going to chop off your head and skull fu….AAAAAAAARGGGGGHHHHHHH!" Johnson cried as Murphy plunged the knife through Johnson's spinal column. He twisted the knife and severed his spine from the waist down, paralyzing him. Johnson coughed up gallons of blood as he screamed in pain. He pulled the knife from his back and warm blood splashed the parched ground, soaking it up as it made contact. Johnson laughed at the irony. Stabbed in the back with his own knife by a man he once stabbed in the back, destiny's a bitch he thought. He fell on his back and laughed even more.

"What's so funny?" Murphy inquired, wondering why a dying man would be cackling as he was ready to meet his end.

"You think you've won? You just delayed the inevitable" Johnson breathed heavily as he felt his life dripping from the wound on his back. A puddle of blood formed on the very ground he was lying on.

"Your men are dead. The very thing you worked so hard for is destroyed. And you're dying. I think we pretty much won. Now to shut you up" Lilith pointed out as she pointed her revolver at Johnson's head. She cocked the hammer of the gun back, the cartridge of the gun rolled around and she began squeezing the trigger. Murphy stopped her and lowered her weapon "Jason, what are you doing?"

"He's a dead man already, let him speak" Murphy said, showing a surprising amount of honor by allowing Johnson to continue even after the things Johnson has done.

"So you're letting me go out like a man instead of putting me down like a dog… shocker" Johnson admitted, amazed Murphy would show him mercy "Like I said, you've won nothing, girly. Sure, you stopped me but like the old saying from my home world goes: Kill one evil, a greater one takes its place" Johnson struggled to get the words out of his mouth as blood filled his lungs "It's true you know. What happened after you killed Jack? Someone worse took his place and so on. The cycle will always continue until you Vault Hunters are nothing but dead meat. I guarantee It. It may not be Hyperion but whoever the next evil is, he'll come for you and kill you."

"And when that day comes, I'll be waiting" Murphy said, believing Johnson's warning.

"Never thought it would end like this, beaten by a cop and a slut" Johnson looked up at the cave ceiling, feeling the end was near "It's been a while you bony bastard. What… the hell… took ya so long?" Johnson's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he let out his last breath. The proud Commander was dead, lying in a puddle of his own blood, eerily smiling in death as Lilith and Murphy stood over his corpse.

"Why did you show him mercy?" Lilith looked at Murphy curiously.

"Father Joseph always told us to respect the dead. Guess those lessons rubbed off on me" Murphy explained.

"Well fuck Johnson. He can burn all the way to hell for all I care" Lilith said angrily as she snapped her fingers, lighting Johnson's corpse on fire. The smell of burning flesh filled the air as his corpse blackened.

"At least w-w-we won't have to hear h-h-him talk anymore" Erick groaned as he finally gained the strength to move again. Murphy breathed a sigh of relief, the threat had passed and his friends were safe. He smiled as he saw it was finally over but then he remembered why he was still standing.

"Lilith, what are you doing here? I thought I told you to stay with the others" Murphy scolded. He was grateful for her assistance but annoyed by her blatant disregard for her own safety.

"Yeah, well I didn't listen" Lilith snapped at Murphy "You should be a little more grateful considering I just saved your ass back there."

"Yeah… well I… ugh" Murphy grumbled under his breath as Lilith made a good point.

"What was it you said in the Cauldron Murph? Never a-a-a-argue with beautiful women? M-m-m-might want to take your o-o-o-own advice" Erick joked, still cold as ice.

"I'm just glad you didn't get hurt, Lilith" Murphy said quickly.

"Can't say the same for you two. You look like hell" Lilith noticed how beaten up Murphy and Erick were.

"I feel like hell but I'll be okay in a few" Murphy assured as his armor repaired itself and his wounds healed as the Nanites fulfilled their designated role.

"No fair" Erick laughed "Mind l-l-lending me those Nanites?"

"Sorry, they only work for me Ace" Murphy said apologetically.

"Whatever" Erick shrugged. Murphy noticed the key lodged in the ground near the entrance of the Vault. He slowly walked over to retrieve the lost key.

"Lilith, watch Ari and Ace while I retrieve the Vault Key" Murphy ordered.

"Okay Jason" Lilith agreed as she walked over to tend to the wounded. On the way to the entrance, Murphy scooped up his frozen helmet, melting the ice off with his glowing metal hand. Once near the entrance, Murphy kneeled down to retrieve the key. As his hand made contact with the ancient artifact, the key and his armor started glowing purple simultaneously and light projected from the key. Lilith and Erick noticed it and turned around to see what was happening. Through the tunnel behind them, Eridian Guardians came marching alongside one another in troves to witness what was inside. Lilith saw the creatures and recognized them as a threat due to her firsthand experiences in dealing with their kind near the Vault of the Destroyer. She was ready to fire at them until Erick stopped her.

"Relax. These guys are friendly" Erick told the cautious Siren. She found it rather hard to believe but she was willing to give Erick the benefit of a doubt all things considered. The beings surrounded Murphy as the light from the key took shape, forming a hologram. Erick walked over to see what was going on while Lilith scooped Ari in her arms and walked with him. The figure took a shape similar to that of the Guardian with armor which strikingly resembled Murphy's. The being stared at the Enforcer and the Guardians bowed down to the hologram while Lilith, Erick, and Murphy remained standing.

"So we meet at last, mortal" the alien spoke with the sound of multiple echoes emanating from his voice "I thank thee for preventing the dark one and his followers from obtaining my weaponry. It puts my mind at ease knowing my cursed armory is no more. It is also a pleasing sight to see the Sirens and Brother alive and well."

"That voice…" Murphy recognized the alien's voice the moment he uttered his first word.

"How does he know us?" Lilith wondered although she felt a strange connection with the being. Like she met him before in a past life.

"It's the Champion!" Erick exclaimed.

"Indeed I was. Once upon time" the being verified who he was to them.

"You were the one who was speaking through me when I ran into the Guardians. You were the one who spoke to Montayva when I died" Murphy said as he stood in utter astonishment at the fact he is speaking with the original bearer of the armor.

"This is true, it was I" the Champion confirmed his suspicions.

"But how are you even here? You died centuries ago" Erick pointed out.

"My physical form has long passed from this plain but my essence…my soul resides in the armor" the Champion began "When you made contact with the Key, you brought me to your world. If only for a short a time."

"How are you able to understand us? And how come you're speaking our language?" Lilith wondered why the alien was speaking English.

"I have studied your languages from reading the new Champion's mind. I have learned a great deal from him of your cultures and civilizations. Humanity has come a long way since I last observed them from afar."

"If only the others were here to see this right now" Lilith eyes gleamed in amazement at what she saw, an actual Eridian standing before her or at least a hologram of one.

"Ari, if you were only awake to meet him" Erick said softly as he looked at his little sister nestled in Lilith's arms.

"I have so many questions" Murphy stated.

"And yet so little time to answer a few" the Champion said as his holographic being walked over to the Enforcer "What do you wish to know?"

"How were you able to bring me back? I was dead."

"The armor was not ready for you to pass on from this world and with danger looming over the horizon, your intervention was needed. I revealed myself to the young Siren and guided her through the necessary steps to repair the damage to your biological form. But your spirit had already passed" the Champion looked at Lilith "I needed an anchor to drag you into your vessel once more."

"Me?" Lilith said in confusion.

"I required the energy of the Siren standing before here to revive you, Champion. My apologies in advance for any discomfort" the Champion said solemnly to Lilith.

"I should be thanking you for bringing him back to us" Lilith said gratefully.

"Your gratitude is not needed but appreciated, Siren."

"Looks like you saved me again, Lilith" Murphy looked at Lilith and placed his hand on her cheek "So…" Murphy began as he returned his attention to the Champion "What Lilith and I saw together, my sister and A.N.N, was that the afterlife?"

"Yes. You witnessed life after death. Something I will never have the chance to experience" the Champion said mournfully "But the time for sorrow has long passed, I accept my fate with little regrets."

"There's something else we'd like to know. Why did you disappear? Why go through so much trouble to hide your weapons?" Erick asked.

"To answer such a query, we must journey to the beginning" the Champion lifted his arms and images from the past played around the Vault Hunters "Centuries ago, when the galaxy was still in it's infancy, my race discovered the element known as Eridium on Pandora, the place of our birth. We harnessed its power to advance our technology, give birth to space travel, and build an empire which spread across the six galaxies. We lived in harmony with the Sirens and your eldest sibling. It was a paradise which cannot be described with mere words. But then the Brother discovered another use for Eridium and fed off its energy to grow stronger. Each time he absorbed the element, his heart grew black as space and became corrupted. He vowed to overthrow the Mother and become ruler of all creation. A faction was formed from my people. They worshipped him like a god and vowed blind loyalty to his ambitions. The Corrupted Brother even brought one of the Sirens into the inescapable grasp of darkness. That is when you were born, child. The Mother created you to bring light into the abyss. But she knew the you and the other 5 Sirens together were not strong enough to defeat their siblings and their monsters. They required the strength of another and a device to seal the Corrupted forever. That's when I was chosen amongst my brothers to carry the burden. You and I forged my armor and weapons with our very hands and instilled it with your energy. We created something greater than we had ever imagined. It was the day when I was conceived as Champion of my race."

"I now had the strength to aid you in our quest. While I gathered our armies for conflict, you crafted the Vault Key young one, the device of our salvation. Decades of conflict would ensue. Entire worlds were destroyed and unspeakable evils were spawned by my kind and your elder sibling. In the end, we prevailed. Your brother and his monsters were locked away in the many Vaults strewn across the Galaxy. Your mother however feared that you too would become like him one day. She made you and the Sirens, her very children but flesh, forever bound to mortality like I and scattered you across the galaxy. Your powers locked away till adolescence, your souls constantly reborn in new life. Trapped in a cycle of reincarnation. As for my race, our penance for our actions was of our own doing. The war had turned many into few, an empire of peace into a race of survivors. We were trapped in the world of our birth. Pandora was torn asunder, oceans were of desert, lush jungles were deprived wastelands, and ancient cities were but ruins. My people fought over mouthfuls of water and scraps of food, we were savages, a fallen people. In this chaos, the Mother charged me with the responsibility of protecting the Key now that you were no longer immortals. My duties did not end there, I self-appointed myself leader of my remaining race, my goal the rebuilding of our civilization and saving what little remained from the brink of annihilation. For a time, all was well. My race slowly returned to the greatness that once was and I carried our beliefs and the mantle of responsibility with pride."

"Then the End War came. The old warlords wanted the Key to release the monsters imprisoned for eternity. My followers fought the rebels for a time but it was all for not. My race was destroyed and I the last survivor. I had killed my own people with the very weapons I forged to protect them with. Never again would my race experience another sun rise, the dawning of another beginning. It was then I decided neither should I experience such a privilege. I hid my tools so no race would suffer extinction like mine and I gave birth to the shells standing beside you from the corpses of my fallen to ensure this. They would guard the Vaults and keep the younger races like yourself from destroying one another in blind greed and ambition. I scattered the pieces of the key to the four corners of Pandora to prevent any race from releasing the beasts inside. Then I sealed myself in the maw of the Planet Hades to live out my self-imposed sentence. Do you understand now?" the Champion lowered his hands and the images of his past ceased to exist.

"Yes, we do" Erick affirmed.

"You imprisoned yourself out of guilt for murdering your own people. And you hid the key so the other galactic races wouldn't suffer the same fate" Lilith understood his lesson through the story.

"One race in particular. Humanity" the Champion admitted "When I entered my prison, humanity began their expansion across the stars as we did, building new civilizations over the ruins of the old. You have come a very long way but you are a young race. You still have much to learn."

"Why not just destroy the key? Wouldn't it have been safer if the one thing that frees the monsters be destroyed" Murphy suggested.

"The destruction of the Key would break the Vaults' seals. The monsters inside would be freed and run rampant across the galaxy. A very unwise decision" the alien warned and he slowly began to fading "My time has reached its end, I must return to the confines of the armor. Again, I thank you for destroying my weapons. Your race does not deserve self-destruction."

"Wait, I still have questions to ask you" Murphy begged the being to stay.

"I cannot" the Champion refused "But allow me to say this to you. I couldn't have found a better candidate to carry my mantle. You are humanities champion now, protect them and give them the miracle of another rising sun, a new beginning to strive towards. Guide them down a gentler path. Do not allow them to repeat our mistakes lest ye suffer our fate."

"I won't let that happen" Murphy assured "Will we see you again?"

"Not in this life but perhaps another. Farewell Champion. May the Mother watch over and guide you in your journeys ahead" the being disappeared into nothingness. The Guardians left the cave and vanished into the shadows.

"Where are they going? They have nothing to protect here" Lilith wondered, not expecting anyone to answer.

"They're going to guard this place like they always have for the past centuries. It's all they know, it's all they live for now" Murphy said thoughtfully "Let's go home. We're done here" a shimmering haze filled the air and the Vault Hunters disappeared like the others before them.


	58. Epilogue-Sendoff

A month after Johnson's death and the destruction of the Vault, the remaining Hyperion troops scattered across the desert world, building small camps and strongholds in an attempt to gain equal footing with the Vault Hunters. This proved to be a futile effort as the Slabs led by Brick and aided by Krieg hunted down the remaining troops and leveled what little command structure they had left. Forced with no alternative, the remaining troops either died, joined bandit clans like the Lance before them, or boarded ships offworld to the safety of the civilized planets. Pandora was finally liberated and with Jack, Blake, and the other Hyperion leaders deceased, the Hyperion threat had come to a close. After the war, the Vault Hunters decided to hang around Sanctuary for a while longer to rebuild the city before heading to Themis to deal with the Dahl Military. They used parts from the Pegasus to rebuild the shield and upgrade the city's defenses. While the city was under construction, Erick was preparing for a challenge so great that it dwarfed anything he had ever faced before, meeting Gaige's parents.

"Take that Zero!" yelled Erick, playing a fighting game against The Assassin. The rest of the Vault Hunters were in the lobby watching, with the exception of Murphy and Lilith.

"Go for the super!" Gaige advised, cheering Erick on.

"You've proven more difficult than anticipated" Zero commended Erick on his videogame skills.

"You're not facing your average gamer pal. Back on Earth, I was the master of console gaming. I remain undefeated to this day" Erick bragged as he pressed the buttons frantically "And now for the big finish…" Zero countered his super move with one of his own, landing the decisive blow on the arrogant Brother.

"Player 2 wins!" the game announcer bellowed through the T.V speaker's.

"A master on Earth/But we're not on earth, Erick/This is Pandora" Zero placed his remote on the controller and sat back, reveling in his victory.

"Nice try champ" Ari comforted her disappointed older brother, standing behind him and patting him on the shoulder.

"But I…how did…" Erick stammered as he stared at the screen in disbelief.

"Trade secret" Zero answered.

"He cheated" Axton joked.

"You accuse me of cheating? Preposterous" Zero said defensively.

"One thing I've learned is ninjas always cheat" Axton said.

"Cowards cheat, Axton/A true warrior fights fair/ I am the latter" Zero retorted.

"Monty, is he lying?" Erick wondered.

"You're asking the wrong girl. I couldn't say even if I wanted to" Montayva admitted, unable to get a clear read from her mysterious ally. She was sitting with Mordecai and carrying her baby in her arms. Junior was perched behind there seat, watching the activities of today with his master.

"Figures" Erick sulked, rotating his left shoulder clockwise "Must have been my new arm. My movements are way too sluggish. I told you we should have gone with a lighter alloy, Gaige."

"Excuses, excuses" Gaige giggled, placed her arms on her hips and shook her head "Face it, you suck."

"Thanks for the sympathy" Erick grumbled.

"Monty, have you picked a name for our little Vault Hunter?" Maya turned toward the happy couple, trying the change to subject on something other than games.

"We have. Mordecai and I have been thinking really hard on it and we've decided on Miria" Montayva looked at her baby and smiled. Miria laughed as she took a liking to her name.

"Little Asskicker would have been a better one for her" Axton insisted they call her by that name.

"My god! Again with that horrid name?" Maya rubbed her eyes in frustration as Axton's childish antics began giving her a headache.

"There ain't no way in hell I'm naming my firstborn Little Asskicker!" Mordecai exclaimed and gave Axton an annoyed look while downing a bottle of soda he had recently opened.

"Come on, it's an awesome name. Am I right Brick? Salvador?" Axton turned toward the two bulky men and hoped for them to have his back.

"Amigo, that is by far the stupidest name you could have come up with" Salvador chuckled.

"I could think of at least a thousand names better than that one" Brick agreed with Salvador.

"I thought you guys were cool but it turns out you're just as dull as the rest of these mooks" Axton sulked.

"And I thought I was the one who needed to grow up" Erick smirked. He glanced around the room and noticed Murphy and Lilith weren't there "Where's Murph? Our ship's ready to take off."

"He's upstairs in his room with Lilith" Angel informed.

"I know what they're up to" Axton took a pot shot at Lilith and Murphy who had forged a relationship over the past three months.

"You're just jealous. You wish you could score with a smokin' hot babe" Gaige teased.

"You mean a bossy bitch like her? Not in a million years" Axton shrugged off Gaige's insult. Montayva and Maya glanced at each other knowingly. In the months that had passed, the two knew how both Murphy and Lilith had changed for the better.

"Lilith, have you seen my hat? I gotta take off soon" Murphy asked as he scrounged around his room, looking for the hat Salvador gave him. He was digging through the closet while Lilith was looking in the locker.

"Found it!" Lilith answered as she pulled it off the side door. She walked over and placed the hat on his head. Over the past month, Murphy's pale complexion was gone, replaced with a natural tan. The glowing veins on his face were now completely unnoticeable. He appeared almost human but the cybernetic blue eyes were the only thing that threw off the facade.

"Thanks" Murphy adjusted the hat slightly "How do I look?" Murphy asked. He was dressed in the clothes Lilith gave him with the duster Salvador gave him in the beginning of his journey over them.

"You look like you belong in a western" Lilith laughed but Murphy did not take it as an insult "But I'll admit, it does look good on you Jason" she answered earnestly.

"It's actually grown on me" Murphy said, remembering the first time he wore it.

"So how long are you staying in Eden-5?"

"A week, maximum. We have a lot of work cut out for us on Themis. You'll need my help in dealing with the Dahl military. Besides, I'd go crazy without you" Murphy wrapped his arm around Lilith's waist and pulled her in for a kiss.

"Jason, I made this for you. I wanted to give it to you before heading out" Lilith pulled out a metal necklace from her pocket and wrapped it around his neck "I know she meant a lot to you. I made this so she could always be close to your heart and to remind you I'm always here for you" Murphy grabbed onto the small computer chip hanging off the end of the necklace. The chip was A.N.N's, his deceased AI and the only family he had for the past 7 years.

"Thank you" he said gratefully "To think, you pointed a gun to my head the first time we met. Now look at us."

"Mom always said love worked in mysterious ways" Lilith shrugged and gave him a quick kiss "We'd better head down or you'll miss the flight."

"Don't want to keep Ace and Gaige waiting" Murphy picked up his duffle bag containing his armor and left the room with Lilith following.

"Sure took your sweet time" Axton said teasingly as Murphy and Lilith entered the lobby.

"I don't want to hear any sass from you today. Unless you want to get on my bad side" Lilith warned, wagging her finger in Axton's face.

"Is it your time of the month again?" Axton asked sarcastically.

"Too late" Maya shook her head at the Commando.

"I'll let that one slide" Lilith said, shaking off his cruel remark.

"You've never been this generous Lil. Usually you'd knock his teeth in for saying something stupid. What changed?" Brick raised his eyebrow in curiosity.

"Nothing major. I've been in a good mood lately" she answered in a cheery tone.

"Bout time you loosened up a little" Mordecai said to his oldest friend.

"Don't get comfy, I'm still gonna run a tight ship around here" Lilith said, returning to her rather though exterior.

"Wouldn't have it any other way" Maya smirked as she turned to her fellow Siren.

"Ready to head out, Ace?" Murphy asked Erick as he stood next to him.

"Well, Murph… I don't think we should go" Erick said hesitantly "I mean, with Themis, Dahl, rebuilding Sanctuary, and the Atlas informant locked away in the interrogation room, we have a lot on our plate. Maybe we should stay here and help the others. It isn't exactly a great time to be on vacation."

"The others can handle Sanctuary and Dahl and Atlas can wait. You're just trying to weasel your way out of your promise" Gaige pointed out.

"It's just… what if your dad hates me? He might try shooting me with a Jakob's Striker shotgun" Erick rubbed his chin nervously.

"You're over exaggerating. Dad's gonna love you. And FYI, daddy owns a slag Deliverance" Gaige said, only feeding Erick's fear further.

"That's comforting" Erick slumped over the couch as he imagined her dad shooting him in the chest.

"Trust me Ace, you've faced a hell of a lot worse than her dad. This should be a cake walk" Murphy said encouragingly.

"And he cannot be worse than my father" Angel added.

"Yeah, but this is one problem I can't just zap with a flick of my wrist" Erick said with shakiness in his voice.

"You could still zap him" Salvador suggested and Gaige shot him a venomous glare strong enough to bore through even his thick skull "What? It's true!"

"I want to meet the man not kill him. Although he might try killing me" Erick spoke with a little less shakiness in his voice.

"Please, for me" Gaige pouted and gave Erick the puppy eyes look in order to sway his decision in her favor.

"Damn it!" How can I say no to a face like that? Okay, you've convinced me" Erick caved.

"Alright, let's go. The shuttle's just outside waiting for us" Murphy instructed.

"Bon voyage, kid. Your chariot to hell awaits" Axton teased as he waved his arm toward the door.

"We'll remember to come to your funeral" Mordecai joined in.

"May heaven have mercy on your soul" Zero projected an evil smiley emote over his faceplate as he too took another jab at Erick.

"Not funny!" Erick yelled.

"Don't listen to those knuckleheads. They're just messing with you. You'll do great Erick, I know it" Ari supported her brother when the others tried to bring him down.

"Remember, fear is your worst enemy, not Gaige's father" Montayva advised.

"Adios muchachos. Come back soon" Salvador walked over and patted Erick on the back.

"Take care slabs" Brick walked over and gave Murphy and Erick huge bear hugs and Gaige stood and laughed as Brick squeezed the air out of their lungs.

"See ya later Brick but please let us go" Murphy asked nicely in a hoarse voice. Brick released his grip and the two men caught their breath.

"Bring a souvenir while you're up there" Maya said, wishing them a good trip.

"Have a pleasant journey" Angel said happily. Krieg lumbered over and towered over the three leaving Vault Hunters.

"Say goodbye" Krieg's inner voice ordered nicely.

"I powdered my cockatiel for the ribcage slaughter!" Krieg growled like an animal and smacked himself in the head with his signature buzzaxe.

"I don't know why I bother" his inner voice grumbled.

"He means farewell" Montayva clarified.

"Goodbye" Lilith walked over and wrapped her arms around his neck, knowing she wouldn't see him for a while "Come back safe. And remember where your true home really is."

"I will" Murphy assured. He walked away from her and began walking outside the HQ with Gaige and Erick. The three stood in front of the shuttle parked next to Zed's clinic. Gaige looked at the ship with great anticipation.

"I'm finally going home. I can't believe this is happening. It's like a dream come true" Gaige squealed enthusiastically.

"Me neither" Erick chuckled nervously "You have my back, right Murph? Murph!" Murphy ignored the question and just laughed.

"You're on your own with that one Ace" Murphy said, almost enjoying Erick's misery.

"I hate you so much right now" Erick glared at Murphy.

"Relax. I'll keep you safe" Gaige leaned over and kissed Erick.

"See Ace, you're in good hands" Murphy nodded toward the two younger Vault Hunters.

"LAST CALL FOR ANY BADASSES HEADING TO MOTHERF***ING EDEN-5! the ships speakers boomed, informing the three of its upcoming departure. They walked up the ramp and entered the ship, prepared for the journey ahead "ALL ABOARD! LET'S BURN SOME RUBBER! NEXT STOP, EDEN-5!" the shuttle doors closed and the engines lit aflame as fuel burned through the thrusters. The ship took off and disappeared into the Pandoran sky.


	59. Credits

I would like to spend this time to thank Montayva and GenErick64 for their support, this story wouldn't exist without their inspirational fanfics. To truly understand my story, please read theirs. They're just as good if not better than mine. I also give credit to Gearbox for creating this crazy world I have grown to love over the past couple of years. I would also like to thank my future wife, Annette for supporting me in making this story. I also want to thank SidoRises for the conception of William Johnson, the main villain of my series. This may be it for this story but the saga will continue. Montayva will write a prequel story showcasing the events of Athenas, the big conflict on Maya's home planet which takes place before mine. My wife will take over and write the next story on Themis after the honeymoon in Australia is over. I will continue my Injustice story but I plan on returning for future Bl2 stories after Themis. It's been one hell of a ride and I'm glad you joined me to witness the madness. Don't be shy to leave any reviews on my story, I can take criticism for I have thick skin. Also, stay tuned for Injustice: Zeus and Hades for upcoming chapters. I'm focusing my full attention on that story. Happy Hunting.


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